The Durmstrang Professor: A Sequel
by HR Acton
Summary: Someone has been murdered, and a supicious new teacher has been hired from Durmstrang! Meanwhile, the group makes a vow to Remus that he could never have expected. ALL CHAPTERS (12) UP!! PLEASE R/R (Sequel to my first fic, Howl of the Moon, id# 882673)
1. Chapter One: An Unexpected Misfortune

A/N: WARNING: This book is a sequel! If you don't want to be in the dark, read my first "The Howl of the Moon", (id# 882673) which chronicles MWPP in their first year. This is about their second year. Also, I own nothing! Please R/R!

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Chapter One:

An Unexpected Misfortune

Remus Lupin stretched out on the hard basement floor. He felt horrible. Physically, that is. Besides having slept the night on the floor, he had been in his werewolfish state before it. As usual he had scratches and bites on him. Grumbling, he got to his feet and pressed the buzzer in his safe room. 

"Coming!" Said his mother. She had come down the stairs a few hours before, and was waiting on an old sofa just outside of the safe room.

She ran up, peeked in through the small, barred opening in the door, and opened the lock to the safe room.

"How are you feeling?" She asked in a motherly tone, taking Remus's hand. She had done this once every month since Remus was five, and yet she still worried as if he would die from the bites and scratches he received during his transformation.

"The usual." He said, and walked gingerly upstairs, where Mrs. Lupin tended to all his wounds. Once he was feeling a little better, he was glad that he had that over with for a whole month, and also that England would be playing Spain in the World Cup semifinals on the Wizard Wireless Network. 

When the post arrived, England were up, 150 to 140, and the snitch was nowhere to be found. Remus retrieved the mail and found that he had gotten four posts himself. They were most likely pertaining to the events of the last meeting of the Society of Lion's Fire; he had missed the last meeting because he was feeling too weak to go.

Remus loved the Society. It was a small, secretive group of him and his closest friends, in which they sought to find all the secret places of Hogwarts and its grounds, and to help each other out so that they all got top marks in classes.

After giving the bills to his mum and dad, he went to his room and sat at his desk to read the letters. He grabbed a fancy looking letter opener, and took a look at the first letter. It was addressed to "Minister Lupin", and the return address was "The Society of Lion's Fire", all written in grand looking calligraphy. 

He opened it, and slid the contents out. It was three slips of paper. The first was a detailed record of their last meeting, in which they discussed the coming year. The second was a letter from James. The third was a Get Well card from all the members, with what Remus recognized as the new Official Seal of the Society of Lion's Fire. It was in the shape of a shield, and divided into four quarters. At the top left was lion, as was at the bottom right. The top right was a flame, and the bottom left was a stag (James had insisted). 

He turned to James's letter.

__

Dear Remus,

How are you? I hope you feel fine, and that you like our card. We discussed everything about next year, so I doubt any of our remaining meetings until school begins will be very long. We hope to play a lot of Quidditch so we can practice and make the house teams.

Allyn delivered us all a bit of bad news at the meeting, Remus. He said that his mum is taking him out of Hogwarts, and that he'll be attending a new school in Wales. He mentioned that nearly being killed twice was a factor.

I must say that when I first heard the news I felt happy, deep down. And now, I feel horrible for having done it. What if Allyn and Lily are meant to be together? I certainly hope not, but if so, this is a very sad day. As much as I'd like to be with Lily, I'd want most for her to be happy. I know I'll miss Allyn.

Our next meeting is on 12:48 AM Saturday, and we'll be convening at the Longbottom residence. I've enclosed the address. 

Sincerely,

King James I

Remus frowned. He liked Allyn. He mentally made a note to write a letter to Allyn. He moved on to the next letter. 

__

Dear Remus,

Hope you are well! How are things going? If you haven't heard Allyn is leaving. Isn't that horrible? I suppose it's good for James, but I doubt he'll ever say it. I'll miss him. 

Are you listening to the World Cup? England are doing great! I hope they're still around by the time this gets to you. 

See you,

Sirius

Remus opened two more from the girls, each saying similar things. Remus smiled again. Friends made being a werewolf very easy. He only wished that they could help him somehow when he transformed.

At the Longbottom house they had all agreed to meet a week before the Hogwarts Express left, and then they would all stay at Sirius's house for the week. Accompanying them would be Mary's younger brother, Frank, who would be starting at Hogwarts this year.

"Let's see, where shall we head first?" Asked James, leading the large group out from Eeylops where they had landed. 

"Well, we only need one new book. Just _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_." Said Lily. 

"But I do need to get a new broomstick!" Said James excitedly, so after a trip to Gringotts, the group headed off to the Quidditch supply shop. Once James had gotten himself a brand new Thunderbolt, and he, Sirius, and Remus (who all intended on trying out for Quidditch teams) got new Quidditch pads as well. 

After purchasing six copies of _Standard Book of Spells, Grade 2_, the group decided to relax at Florean Flortescue's Ice Cream Parlor, and after a sundae apiece, returned to the Black house via Flortescue's chimney. 

All week was nothing but Quidditch for Remus, Sirius, and James. They did every position to death; they weren't sure which positions had openings, although they knew there were four of them. Since Sirius was off practicing Quidditch, Lily's only chess opponents were Mary and Peter, who she consistently beat thoroughly, even when she played both of them at once.

By Thursday (the train would be leaving Sunday), even Remus, Sirius and James were previewing the lessons of the upcoming year. The next night, however, they were discussing something much more fun.

"Let the thirty-fifth meeting of the Society of Lion's Fire commence, _Pridie Kalends September, 2721 ab urbe candita._" Since the meeting that Remus was gone, they kept up with keeping a record of each meeting, and Lily had been designated official secretary (as she had the neatest handwriting). Remus, who James now referred to as his Prime Minister, stood up from Sirius's bed (on which he and Sirius were sitting) and delivered the plan for that night.

"The first order of business will be to discuss trips to Hogsmeade. We have received notices by post that second-years and above are allowed to take the monthly trips to Hogsmeade, and everyone has gotten permission from their parents. James?" James nodded to Remus, and stood up.

"I don't think we should waste any time and get straight to the troublemaking on our first visit. We'll hit Zonko's, that's the joke shop. After some drinks perhaps, we'll begin to wreak havoc!" The group cheered quietly, and they quickly began devising all sorts of plans (very tentative, of course, as no one had been to Hogsmeade, except to get on and off the train).

On Sunday they would be heading over in the Black's muggle van. 

"Oh, man! I can't wait!" Said James excitedly on the way to King's Cross. 

"Yeah! This year's going to be great!" Responded Sirius from the front seat.

"Transfiguration! Charms!"

"Quidditch! Hogsmeade!"

"Lestrange." Lily said, as if she just remembered that he was at the school. The whole van groaned.

"Don't worry. If he tries to put a damper on our fun, we'll take care of him!" James said mischievously. Mrs. Black glanced at him through the mirror.

"Not going to get in any trouble, James?" She asked. James grinned.

"Not a bit!"

On the train, Sirius couldn't help but keep his broom out and he gripped it tightly, even while he played wizards' chess. 

On the ride they joked, studied a bit, performed some spells and discussed quite a bit of Quidditch.

"England were having a spectacular year! I can't believe they lost to Spain." Sirius said, downtrodden.

"I can't believe Wales have advanced to play Spain for the World Cup!" Said James.

"Well, I suppose we'll be rooting for them, since Allyn will be." Said Lily. They all nodded.

"And because Spain beat us!" Added James. 

"You'll never guess!" Gasped Fannie Flately. She had just run up to their compartment and stuck her head in. 

"What?" James asked, sounding as if she had no right to be in the compartment.

"Rumors all about the train! I even heard it from a prefect!" Sirius stood up.

"Spit it out Fannie!" He yelled.

"They're saying Friar Arus is dead! Murdered!" 

"What!?" Sirius screamed, outraged. 

"Where did you hear it?" Asked James loudly. Remus went numb.

"Bloody hell..." he muttered, slumping into his chair. Peter Pettigrew, quite fond of Herbology, was shaking. Mary and Lily were in silent tears. James dashed out of the compartment in search of someone who might be more of an authority.

"Evus!" He yelled, finally finding the car that held the only prefect he knew. "Evus, is it true?" He gasped. 

Evus, who was talking with Max Dorian and William Johnson, turned to James suddenly. He was holding Quidditch trading cards and discussing the World Cup. He was initially angry at having been interrupted so. But then he softened a bit, bit his lip, and nodded. James was suddenly woozy, and he gripped the side of the door. His legs went, and he crumbled to the ground. 

Everyone felt sick for the rest of the train ride. The next word uttered among the group was "checkmate" by Sirius quite softly nearly two hours later. And not another for the next three hours. When the train arrived they quietly shuffled out, and the Hogsmeade train station was more subdued on September first than it had ever been. Hagrid even sensed that word had gotten out on the train, and was very somber himself. Gryffindors, Ravenclaws, and especially Hufflepuffs were nearly ground to a halt in shock. Slytherins were silent as well, but more resentfully. They dared not disrupt at this moment. 

All grades above the first were to enter by magically drawn carriages, leading up to the main doorway. They were four to a carriage, and the Gryffindor boys populated the first. Remus and Peter sat anxiously in the awkward silence. James had his hands folded in front of his mouth. Sirius crossed his arms and looked up the whole time. 

Evus led them all in to the Great Hall, where the students noticed some drastic changes on the faculty table. Two seats on the left were missing, one on the right. Professors Dumbledore, Scuro, and Marus were missing, and Professor McGonagall was seated uneasily in Dumbledore's chair. 

There was a clear expression of anxiety on her face, and it was pale and white. It seemed that at the very same moment, every person in the room's glance stumbled upon the transparent, silvery ghost of the Fat Friar.


	2. Chapter Two: The Beginning of a Legacy

A/N: WARNING: This book is a sequel! If you don't want to be in the dark, read my first "The Howl of the Moon", which chronicles MWPP in their first year. This is about their second year. Also, I own nothing! Please R/R!

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Chapter Two:

Beginning of a Legacy

The silence was shattered as the entire hall burst into whispers so fast and many that the noise produced was as raucous as a rowdy class on a spring day. The students seated themselves and the chattering intensified, only lightening slightly as Professor Longbottom brought in the new students. Professor McGonagall finally silenced the school with a single word, and Professor Longbottom explained the Sorting to the first-years.

"How do you think it happened?" Asked James to the group. They simply shook their heads.

"Avery, Maximilian!" Shouted Professor Longbottom (the hat had not sung this year's song). In a few moments, he became a Slytherin. No one much paid attention at all, only noticing and greeting those who came to his or her house. Remus and the rest finally took note when Mary's brother took the stage. 

"Longbottom, Francis!" Frank meagerly walked up. He was average height, had dirty-blonde hair, and light green eyes. He placed the hat on his head. In the thirty-second span his expression seemed to get frightened, but in a moment, he was a,

"GRYFFINDOR!" He let out a deep breath, smiled widely, and half-skipped to the Gryffindor table. As Malfoy, Lucius, became a Slytherin, Mary and her friends greeted Frank, and then he was by a girl he had met on the train, who had also been selected for Gryffindor.

The Society members scouted out the new Gryffindors, and commented on which might make good recruits. It was as if they had forgotten all about Friar Arus, but soon Professor McGonagall brought it all back.

"Alright, alright, let's settle down." She was very pale and spoke shakily. Simply her speaking reminded everyone of the specter of the Fat Friar. She forced a smile to her face and said,

"Dinner!" The empty plates blossomed into huge piles of food, causing instant salivation among all present. Over dinner Lily and James told Frank and his friends all about what classes they would have (though they shared speculation on who would be teaching Herbology). 

Discussion then moved to Gryffindor's chances at Quidditch (considering, of course, that Sirius, James, and Remus all make the team). By the time Professor McGonagall clinked her glass again, they were discussing their impending victory of the House Cup. 

"There are...quite obviously, a few announcements." McGonagall said quietly. "First of all, it is my sad duty to announce to you all that Friar Arus has died." This came as a shock to no one, but there was a lot of whispering just then.

"We do know that it was as a result of...foul play, though we do not know who is responsible. You will notice that Professors Dumbledore, Scuro, and Marus are currently away; they are investigating the situation carefully. No one's lives are in danger. There is no need to fear. 

"We are currently searching for a replacement Herbology teacher; in the meantime, however, Professor Vanic has been kind enough to come out of retirement to teach Friar Arus's lesson until then. Once we have found a replacement, Friar Arus will remain here as a resident ghost and councilor. A few other things; the forest continues to be out-of-bounds to all students, and Quidditch trials are in two weeks for second-years and above. Now, we all better get to bed." She waved them off to their house common rooms, and they filed away, following their prefects.

The second-years' first class was Transfiguration at nine, and, knowing the way to class much better than they had at the beginning of their first year, they got up much later. After a delicious breakfast, they had about five minutes to make it to class.

"You guys are going to be late!" Fannie Flately had said, passing them by. They had simply smiled and assured her they would be on time, and she walked quickly out of the hall, glancing at them as she left. She did not know anything about the Society of Lion's Fire, nor about any of their secret passages. She sat down in class with one minute to go, assuring herself they would be late. 

But, with a few seconds until the bell, and Professor McGonagall staring at the open door, all six strolled in, not one of them out of breath or discolored at all. They sat down just as the bell rang, much to the surprise of Fannie. 

After a very interesting preview of the lessons to come during this term, the group headed off for a brief break in the common room, then on to Charms. Professor Flitwick marveled them all with some excellent second-year charms, and it wasn't long until Lily was getting the hang of the first of them. 

Next was a fairly long free time, and though it was earlier than lunchtime, they decided it was the best time for such a meal, since the next break wouldn't be until after Herbology and History of Magic.

Over lunch, they discussed their next class, Herbology.

"I know Evus said that Professor Vanic wasn't exactly the most pleasant teacher." Said Lily, worriedly, as she began on a sandwich. 

"I know. I'm worried. Herbology was always a more relaxing class...I hope we get a new teacher soon. One like Friar Arus." James said.

Once they were finished, they headed out the Entrance Hall to Herbology, and met Frank and his four friends coming back in.

"There's Francis!" Said Sirius loudly and embarrassingly. They all walked up, and James gave Frank a light punch on the arm, and Frank chuckled and held his arm. 

"No beating up my brother, now!" Mary said, smiling. Frank chuckled again, turned red, and waved for his friends.

"Let's go..." He walked quickly off with his laughing friends.

"You guys..." Mary said, and walked off to Herbology.

"Mary, wait up!" Sirius said and quickly followed. The group did so as well.

Professor Vanic was a tall, imposing wizard, with gray hair spotted with dark black. He had a stone cold expression, and they all could have thought him to be Professor Marus's brother. 

The Gryffindors had Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, and when they all had arrived, Vanic looked at his class list, and then back up. He counted those present quickly, and assumed everyone was there. 

The Hufflepuffs all had very subdued faces on, Friar Arus, was, after all, their House head. On top of that, this was the class he taught.

"Welcome to Herbology. My name is Professor Vanic, and I will be your interim Herbology professor. I know little about plants and that sort. I will be sticking strictly to the lesson prepared by Friar Arus. He will be joining us in a few classes this week, to take questions and help instruct. I will tolerate no funny business from anyone. In this class more than any of my former Charms classes.

"I have come out of a quite comfy retirement to teach you all. I expect you will not make me discipline you all too much. I'm sure you all also have respect for the dead." Vanic's face seemed to soften only in the slightest, then it returned quickly. 

"Now. For our first lesson." 

The group rushed from Herbology, because though they knew an easy way to the History of Magic corridor, they would need to wash all the dirt from their hands and faces before Professor Binns's class. After a quick stop at the bathroom, they were heading to the nearest shortcut, and when they arrived at History of Magic before anyone else, with not a spot of dirt on them, the only three people in their class _not_ in the Society were amazed. 

"How do you do it?" Squeaked Dhelia Brown after class.

"I guess we're just quick on our feet." Said James as Peter Pettigrew tripped over his own robes and fell flat on his face. James continued to smile.

"What? Don't believe me?" He chuckled a bit, turned coolly on his heel, and left for the common room. It was a less pleasant run-in they made this time, however when they prepared to open up the shortcut to the Potions corridor, so that they could take a shortcut back to the Gryffindor common room ("It's shorter, I'm sure of it!" Sirius had said).

"Hello Lestrange. Snape, Nott." With the Slytherin trio were three girls as well, who the Society did not know outside of Potions class. 

"What are you doing here, Pudder?" Lestrange asked, frowning. 

"What are you drawing?" Remus asked. Lestrange was holding a small clipboard on which they could see a piece of paper and some pencil markings. Lestrange drew the clipboard close to his chest.

"None of your business, Lupin." He scowled. James rose his wand.

"_Accio_." The power of James's spell drew the clipboard towards him, but Lestrange hung on. It pulled him off the ground a few inches and towards them.

"None of your _business!_" He spat, and quickly walked off with his goons in tow.

"Sometimes you have to play the aggressor." James said, and magicked the suit of armor aside, revealing a staircase.

"Shall we?"

Much to their joy, those four classes were all for the group that day. Unfortunately, Thursday made up for it. That day they would be having the same four classes, as well as Double Potions with the Slytherins, Double Defense against the Dark Arts with the Ravenclaws (something they didn't have last year) and Astronomy at midnight. All the other days, gladly, were normal. 

It was still the afternoon when Sirius, Remus, James, Lily, Peter, and Mary entered the common room. 

"How about some Quaffleball?" Sirius asked.

"Aaaargh!" Lily screamed. "I can't stand that game any more. You play it _constantly!_" James shrugged. 

"You don't have to play."

"I'll go check if the pitch is empty." Said Mary, as there was a window looking out onto the pitch in the girls dormitory. A moment later she came back to say that it was in fact empty, and the group (including Lily) grabbed their broomsticks and headed out.

"Do you know what positions are open?" Lily asked.

"Yeah. Will Johnson's a keeper, Evus is a chaser, and Max Dorian was a seeker, but he's moving to chaser, since he's getting too big. So that makes the openings two beaters, a seeker and a chaser." James said. Lily nodded.

"So no need to practice keeper?" James nodded, and he, Sirius, and Remus took to the air. It was just when Lily and Mary where mounting their broomsticks when they noticed that Peter Pettigrew had a golf club, not a broom.

"Alright, Peter, let's start with seeker practice!" Peter nodded, emptied a bag of golf balls onto the field, and began knocking them into the air.

"Mine!" Yelled James, and shot after one and snagged it easily. 

"Mine!" Said Remus, and he grabbed two at once, then another. 

"Impressive!" Said Sirius, as he dove towards the ground after another.

"I thought we were playing Quaffleball?" Lily shouted.

"Oh yeah." James chuckled, and quickly appointed himself captain.

"I'm the other!" Yelled Lily quickly. Sirius had his mouth open to call the other position, and was fairly shocked to hear Lily say it. 

"Well, I never get a chance." She said. Soon it was decided that it would be Mary and Lily versus Sirius, James, and Remus, with the boys taking shifts. At the start, it was Sirius and James.

"Switch brooms, Sirius?" James asked, grinning. Sirius nodded.

"Yes, yes, sounds good." He said, chuckling. They both stood on their brooms shakily, then leapt across at the same time.

"Now why would they be doing that?" Lily asked Mary.

"I'm throwing up the Quaffle!" Yelled Peter. As soon as he did, Mary shot straight after and got it. She raced towards the hoops, when Sirius pulled even with her.

"Prepare to be boarded!" He yelled.

"_What?_" She screamed. Sirius brought his leg up and leaned over until it was wrapped around Mary's broom. He then let go of James's broom completely, and was now sitting right in front of Mary.

"I'll take that!" He said, and reached behind him, taking the Quaffle from the stunned Mary. Just as she was recollecting her wits, and was about to push him off, James pulled up next to them (they were nearing the boys' goal now). 

"There's my ride!" He said, and leapt onto his own broom. Sirius took control, and James turned around to face Lily, who was giving chase. As Sirius turned around and began to shoot towards the girl's goal, James leapt off Sirius's broom, and grabbed Lily, taking her off her own broomstick. As they plummeted to the ground, James reached into his cloak and pulled his wand.

"_Accio _Thunderbolt!" The broom that was laying on the ground rose up to meet James and Lily, and he landed perfectly upon it. He swooped down to the ground, and dropped Lily off there.

"See you." He said, smiling and laughing, taking back off.

"Oh! James Potter!" She screamed, and ran towards her own, grounded broom.

By now, Sirius had made the score fifty to nothing, and when James came, they added another forty. 

By the end of the game, the score had reached one hundred-forty to fifty, and the boys forfeited, getting tired of the easy match. After a few broomstick races and some chaser practice, Remus, Sirius, and James finally returned to the common room, where Lily, Mary, and Peter had gone earlier.

For the boys, two weeks could not come soon enough, for the girls, it came far too soon. 

"You should try out, girls!" Sirius said as they all trotted out to the Quidditch pitch, where the Gryffindor tryouts were taking place. Slytherins were leaving the field, for theirs had just ended. Lestrange and Nott were looking quite proud of themselves; Snape was scowling. The Gryffindors, however, paid no attention to them, they were too glad to be finally trying out.

"Why would we try out?" Asked Lily.

"Well, you girls are very good Quidditchers!" James said.

"Yes. You just look bad, because we're spectacular!" Remus said, laughing. Lily made a face and smacked Remus on the arm. 

"Everyone knows there's never been a female Quidditch player at Hogwarts." Lily said, so angrily that James thought she might try out in an attempt to end such a chauvinist tradition. 

"Are you all trying out?" Said Professor Marus, once they had reached the pitch. Marus, Scuro, and Dumbledore had all returned a few days after the start of term, and no one asked a single question. 

James looked at Mary and Lily. 

"Well?" He asked. They shook their heads.

"Just me, Sirius, and Remus." Said James. Marus nodded, wrote their names on his clipboard, and pointed over to the stands. 

"Spectators in the stands." He said. Mary, Lily, and Peter nodded, and made their way to the student section. 

"Good luck!" Mary said as they walked away, waving her hand.

"Thanks!" Responded Sirius, and they went through the dressing rooms to the center of the pitch. There were the others who were trying out. They were mostly older students, fourth, fifth, sixth, even seventh years. Evus had told them that last years team was made of four seventh years and three fifth years. For this reason, it had been a while since the last time positions on the Gryffindor squad were open. 

Everyone turned their heads once Marus blew the whistle, signifying the time to start tryouts. 

"Our open positions are Seeker, Chaser, and two Beaters." Said Evus. Everyone looked up to see that he, Will Johnson, and Max Dorian were circling above on their broomsticks.

"We'll be starting with the Beaters. All trying out for Beater, please take your brooms and come up here!" James, Sirius, and two others mounted their brooms and took to the sky. Max Dorian was holding a bundle of Beater clubs, and Will Johnson grabbed four of them, and handed them to the prospects. Sirius gripped his tightly.

"Much better than a wand in my opinion." Said Sirius, smiling. James chuckled a bit, and tossed his from hand to hand. Evus had them line up above the center line, spaced equally apart. Marus had gotten on his own broomstick and joined the Gryffindor Quidditch players. The three Gryffindors and Marus were each in charge of a bludger, the shiny black ball whose purpose it was to knock players off their brooms. Each was holding their bludger magically, keeping them from zooming about and trying kill someone. 

"We're going to let go of these, and we want you to knock them back at us, as if we were opponents. We're going to do this drill five times." Evus was also holding a clipboard, besides his wand.

"Now!" He said, and he, Professor Marus, Max, and Will let go of their magical grip on the bludgers, and all four jet balls shot at the prospects. Professor Marus and Max flew upwards, Evus and Will downwards. 

Sirius, who was facing Evus, adjusted his position, wound up his club, and smashed the bludger straight at Evus. James was slightly less successful, he hit it in the right direction, but halfway there it lost steam, and headed back at him. After four more drills in which Sirius and James's results were similar to their first, they started a new drill.

"Very good, very good." Evus said, writing down various things. After that they moved on to a drill in which Max Dorian pretended to be Seeker, and the prospect was forced to defend him against an onslaught of two bludgers. Sirius did so perfectly; James only allowed the bludger to pass by once.

After those tryouts, James was feeling fairly nervous, since he was sure he didn't make the team as a Beater, and there were only two more open positions. 

"Now for the Chasers." Evus said, and James, Sirius, and Remus took the air, as well as a fifth year. Will Johnson took the Keeper position and situated himself in front of the hoops. At first they all tried out shooting on Will, then passing and shooting, flying ability, more passing, then defensive capability. James came off that tryout with a little more confidence. 

"I think I did well." James said, smirking, as he, Sirius, and Remus settled on the ground. 

"Seekers!" Everyone but Sirius took the air, and soon the Golden Snitch was released. All they were to do was to continually go after the Snitch. After it was caught ten times, Remus had caught it four times, and James three.

"I think we came off that well." James said as they sat on the ground, and Evus discussed the positions with Will and Max. Professor Marus, who was also Head of Gryffindor house, listened to all the talk. Evus, who was team captain, stepped forward, smiling brightly.

"Well, it looks like we'll have a great team this year!" He said excitedly. "Now, for those who made the team.

"At Beater, seventh year Marcus O'Reilly." Marcus got to his feet, pumped his fist, and joined the sixth years.

"At the other Beater, second year Sirius Black." 

"Yes!" Said Sirius, and slapped hands with James and Remus, and took his broom over to the much older Gryffindor Quidditchers. 

"At Chaser, James Potter." James quickly slapped hands with Remus, hopped up excitedly, and dashed over to where Sirius and the others were. 

"And, at Seeker, Remus Lupin!"


	3. Chapter Three: Quidditch Season Begins

A/N: WARNING: This book is a sequel! If you don't want to be in the dark, read my first "The Howl of the Moon", (id# 882673) which chronicles MWPP in their first year. This is about their second year. Also, I own nothing! Please R/R!

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Chapter Three:

Quidditch Season Begins

Over the next month and a half there would be nothing but hard practicing for the young new Gryffindor Quidditchers in their free time. It did not effect their schoolwork adversely, however. In fact, the excitement seemed to push them harder. The one price to pay, however, was their troublemaking schedule. It dropped off severely, though Lily, Mary, and Peter didn't seem to mind. 

Joking and pranks would make a short return, one certain weekend, however.

"Hogsmeade!" Yelled Sirius, as he got out of bed, Halloween morning. Since it was on Saturday that year, they would be going the day of Halloween. Everyone had handed in his or her permission slip during Astronomy on Thursday (Professor Marus being the Gryffindor head-of-house), and those who would be going lined up to be seated once more in the horse-less carriages, to be taken to Hogsmeade. 

It wasn't long until they were all released to roam on the streets of Hogsmeade, free from the teachers' sharp eyes. 

"First, lets stock up on supplies." Said James, and he, flanked by Sirius and Remus with Peter, Lily, and Mary behind, made their way to Zonko's Joke Shop. Lily and Mary scouted out fake foods, Peter and Remus checked out explos-ives, and James and Sirius looked at everything, buying much. 

Once they had stocked up on those, it was off to Honeydukes to get tons of sweets, browsing the latest Nimbus prototype at Quality Quidditch Supplies, then to Three Broomsticks for drinks.

"Ah, butterbeer." Said James, then he took a large gulp from his frosty mug. He and the rest had taken up a large round table in the middle of the tavern. As the group was getting to the bottom of their mugs, Professors Marus, Scuro, and Dumbledore entered the place, picking up a carryout order. 

"Potter!" Said Marus as he saw them. "Black! Lupin! What are you all doing? We're playing Slytherin in the Quidditch opener, it's a classic first game matchup! Tradition! The Gryffindor-Slytherin opener is always one of the most important games! You'd all better be on top of your game when the time comes, Slytherin is tough!" Sirius smiled nervously.

"We've been practicing every day, Professor! Just relaxing a bit today." Said Remus. Scuro chuckled.

"No, Black, go right ahead!" He said. "The less you practice, the better it is for Slytherin's chances!"

"Gryffindor could beat Slytherin without a minute of practice, Byron." Marus said, quietly. Scuro turned to Marus.

"Is that so?" He asked. Professor Dumbledore stepped between the two, chuckling.

"Now, now, gentlemen. Let's not get so uptight about Quidditch. Why don't we all sit down for some drinks?" He asked, smiling. Marus and Scuro agreed, and they followed him to a table in one corner. Marus lingered behind for a moment to whisper to Remus,

"You better be ready, Lupin." They all gulped. Everyone quickly finished their butterbeers, and filed out of the tavern. Shoving a squirming chocolate frog into his mouth, Sirius said, 

"Well, lets go ahead and get back to Hogwarts for Quidditch practice." Lily groaned. 

"Sirius, you're not buying into what Marus said, are you? Seven days a week! You deserve a break!" James shook his head.

"Not much, Lily. Just a little flying to make sure we don't get rusty!"

"Well, I'm staying!" Said Lily, and Mary joined her.

"Fine." James said shrugging. 

"You don't have to go with them, Peter." Lily said. He nervously smiled and said,

"It's okay...I want to." And they went off. 

"Very good. Girls aren't good for the Quidditch player." Lily and Mary suddenly turned around to see Professor Marus looming over them. Lily gulped and weakly said,

"Professor...we aren't..._romantic_ with them...." For one of the few times ever, the girls saw him smile. 

"Sure." He said, and his face returned to the hard as rock, just plain mean expression they were used to. "Now stay away from my Quidditchers." And he walked off as well, joining the professors with whom he had entered the Three Broomsticks. Lily sighed.

As James, Remus, and Sirius made their way to the Hogsmeade station, they passed a group of third-year Hufflepuffs discussing their house's chances on the Quidditch pitch.

"Gryffindor was our only challenge last year, but after they lost all their seventh years, there's no chance for them." Said one.

"They've got three second years on the team! There isn't a second year on our _reserve_ team!" Said another. James bit his lip. Gryffindor didn't even _have_ a reserve team. But as the Hufflepuffs passed, James was determined to beat the Hufflepuffs on the score sheet. Sirius was determined to simply beat them. All of them. 

"Hufflepuff is a joke." Said James. Sirius nodded.

"Yeah. We'll beat them so easy..."

"They're all a bunch of thick idiots."

"Yeah. Just as bad as Slytherin." Said Remus.

"Who would make friends with one of them?" James asked. "If you ask me, Hufflepuff is the most inferior house Hogwarts has got." The others nodded.

"So the rookies have finally decided to show up, eh?" Asked Will Johnson with a chuckle as James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter arrived at the pitch.

"You said today's practice was optional!" James exclaimed. Will chuckled a little more.

"I know, I was joking." He said. 

"How much time do we have left on the pitch?" James asked. 

"Slytherin's got the pitch booked for practice starting at seven. So we've got plenty of time. Come on!" Remus, Sirius, and James mounted their brooms and charged into the sky, beating, chasing, and seeking like the best of them. 

When the day of the Slytherin-Gryffindor Quidditch opener finally arrived, Lily and Mary were quite glad to see something in exchange for the endless hours of practicing. Though this was a very important game for students and teachers rooting for Slytherin and Gryffindor, Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff supporters were very indifferent to the outcome, as Slytherin and Gryffindor were expected to perform much lower than Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. In fact, Ravenclaw was expected to be the first real challenge to Hufflepuff's eight-year long Quidditch dynasty in quite a while. 

"A'right, team." Began Evus McQuent, the Gryffindor captain, in the dressing room. "Maybe not everyone is picking us to upset Hufflepuff, but we're not facing the favorite right away. We're playing Slytherin. This is a good chance to get our team chemistry goin'. A lot of people underestimate us because we've three second years. But thas' not gonna matter once we find how every'n performs. I think our second years are fantastic. We can win!" The team cheered, and then after a moment, followed their captain out onto the pitch. 

There, Professor Marus stood, a box on his left side, his broom on the right. The crowds were looming overtop of them, their seats raised into the air to see the action. They and the Slytherins lined up around Professor Marus along the center circle. James noticed Lestrange, Nott, as well as two Slytherins he knew from last year, Kravitch and another whose name he did not know. He wondered what positions they would be playing. 

"I want a fair game. No foul play," here his eyes darted to the Slytherins, "and good fast, smooth flying. Let's get underway!" He opened the boxes to allow the bludgers and snitch to blast away into the air, and Marus ordered everyone onto their brooms and to their positions. He mounted his own broom, grabbed the Quaffle and threw it straight up.

With a shrill blast of his whistle, the game was started. James flew straight in between Evus and Max Dorian, grabbed the Quaffle, and darted between Kravitch and two others, who he now knew to be chasers. He flew straight in alone, and launched the ball past the Slytherin keeper, through the leftmost hoop.

"POTTER SCORES!" Screamed the announcer, excitedly. "And that is a new record for time before the first goal at a mere seven seconds!" James pumped his fist, and quickly flew back, surveying the others. Sirius was racing neck and neck with Nott, chasing a bludger, knocking it back and forth between the two. Remus was surveying carefully for the snitch, as was Nero Lestrange. 

James smirked at the fact that Lestrange would be Remus's opponent, though feared slightly for Remus, should Lestrange try any unfair business.

Soon the Slytherins were racing back up the field and James was racing towards his own goal, keeping close to a Slytherin he didn't know, guarding in case the Quaffle was passed his way. It was Kravitch, however, who took the ball towards the net, swooping in speedily, where Evus was helping the keeper, Will Johnson, defending the hoops. He came in on the left side, at a poor angle, but fired quite accurately. 

The keeper, Will Johnson, stretched his fingers out as far as he could, and barely deflected the former Seeker's shot, getting just enough of it, such that it struck the side of the hoop.

"Off the post!" Yelled the announcer. Max quickly picked up the ball and began racing back towards the enemy goal, when a bludger came screaming in. 

"Got it!" Yelled Sirius, and he, flying in the opposite direction of Max, passed by him, and slammed the bludger back straight at Kravitch, who was nearly knocked off his broom when it struck him in the stomach.

The Gryffindors developed a quick fifty-ten lead, but the Slytherins came roaring back.

"Kravitch! To Morran! Back to Kravi-SCORES! And Slytherin is up 130-50!" And it only got worse. As Remus sighted the Snitch, Gryffindor went down 210 to fifty, so catching it would do no good. Lestrange, however, had sighted the Snitch as well, and Remus was forced to play defensively. 

"Go on, Lupin!" Lestrange shouted, as they raced, knocking shoulders, towards the glittering, magical ball. "Go ahead and take it! I don't mind!" Remus leaned strongly to his right, and knocked Nero away. 

"No you don't!" He shouted, and pushed Remus back.

Meanwhile, Sirius was tracking quite a difficult bludger that seemed to be intent on attacking nothing but Gryffindor chasers. As it flew towards Max Dorian, Sirius pulled up next to him.

"Come on!" He shouted to the bludger. It came in hard on Sirius's left, and he switched the beater club to his left hand. It tried to bypass him and hit Max, but Sirius wound up and smashed it in no particular direction, and quickly followed it down, away from the action. He tracked it blatantly, almost daring it to take a shot at him. But the bludger seemed to know better, seeking to find a way away from him. 

Finally it made its way back into the heat of the Chase, and towards the Slytherin chaser Morran. But Sirius didn't let up. Just before it smashed Morran's skull, Nott, a Slytherin beater, swooped down in such an acrobatic manner that Sirius rethought his idea of Nott as a hulking bruiser, and smashed the bludger away. Sirius was so close to Morran and Nott, however, that all he had to do was hold his club steady with both hands, and direct it slightly towards the enemies. Then, when the bludger shot at him, he merely redirected it, smashing Nott into the shoulder, and then going on to hit Morran in the back. 

The Quaffle shot from Morran's arms, and Sirius spied Kravitch speeding towards it. He also saw Evus doing the same, but from much farther away. Sirius jolted towards it, and smashed the Quaffle to Evus with his club, then sped back off in search of the bludgers.

Evus caught the Quaffle, somewhat shocked, but sped quickly towards the goal. The keeper, however, was coming out to challenge him, and Kravitch was closing in from one side. James, fortunately, was speeding in on the other side of the pitch, taking advantage of the momentarily-taken-out-of-the-play Morran. Evus quickly tossed it over, and James easily two-handed it through the leftmost hoop. 

He punched his fist into the air, and brought his broom to a vertical position. He quickly, however, sped back towards his own goal, making a sweeping descent to accelerate more quickly. And that he did. He descended and accelerated so fast that he had to pull with all his strength to pull up and not smash into the grass. He pulled his legs up and his boots clipped the tips of the blades of grass.

The ploy worked, however, and he was far ahead of the charging Slytherins. There was, unfortunately, the task of rising fifty feet to the level of the hoops. James did not begin to do so until he reached the base of the hoops, and swung up radically, until he was flying vertically to the players' level.

Kravitch out-maneuvered Max, and fired a shot in towards Will. Will was able to swing towards the shot and extend his palm, deflecting the Quaffle, which proceeded to bounce off of the top of the rightmost hoop. It shot out past the defending Evus and right into the hand of Morran, who shot it right back. Evus was unable to stop it, but Will dove again, deflecting it barely. Morran shot past the stationary Evus, and was about to backhand-slap the Quaffle easily through the hoop, when James finally arrived. He came so suddenly and with so much speed, that the crowd was shocked. He knocked the ball straight up with the tip of his Thunderbolt as he climbed vertically, and smashed into the approaching Morran. 

Morran flew back, but remained fairly steady. James, however, was completely removed from his broom. He reached out his hands and grabbed on desperately to the bottom of the center hoop. He could see that no one could aid him; the bludgers were occupying Sirius and Marcus O'Reilly, and the Slytherins were keeping pressure on the Gryffindor goal, forcing the Gryffindor chasers and keeper to remain concentrated on the play.

Thinking of no other way to aid his team, as his broomstick landed on the sand below, James pulled himself up, and bodily defended the center hoop. Professor Marus, the referee, however, quickly waved him away. James now remembered the penalty known as "Goalkeeping". He shrugged to Marus as if to say "I have no broom", but Marus shrugged back as if to say "I couldn't care less". James reluctantly returned to his dangling position over the sands below the Gryffindor goal, looking desperately to Will. 

Will Johnson was showing quite the face of despair, wishing to help James, but the Slytherins were firing often at the Gryffindor goal, and they couldn't seem to keep the ball from the enemy. Finally, however, as Evus stole the ball away, Remus Lupin swung in from nowhere, retrieved the broom from the sand, and flew up quickly towards James. 

James, however, allowed himself to drop from the hoop, and met Remus halfway, who threw the broom up to James. James caught the broom deftly, and was quickly off and flying to catch up to the Gryffindor rush.

With James out of the play, Kravitch and Morran double-teamed Evus, who carried the Quaffle up the left side of the pitch. James, on a broom superior to all the other chasers', swept up quickly on the opposite side of the pitch from Evus, and soon towards the goal, wide open. 

Evus spotted him, and put two hands on the Quaffle. Just as Kravitch and Morran flew at him, Evus threw the Quaffle with all his might, getting smashed as he released. James sped up even more, and extended his hand to receive the Quaffle.

"JAMES!" Came Sirius's scream. He looked to the left quickly as he flew, and saw the bludger out-racing Sirius towards him. James pushed forward even more, but seeing he could not outrun the bludger, he suddenly stopped his broom, pulling the handle back and allowing the bludger to pass, barely. As Sirius passed, he yelled,

"Don't worry, I've got it!"

Seeing Kravitch was coming in too fast, and that he wouldn't be able to accelerate again, James put two hands on the Quaffle as Evus had done to pass to him, and launched it towards the farthest goal-hoop; that which was on the keeper's right. The keeper had flown out to challenge him, but James threw so hard and fast that he only reacted in time to deflect it slightly. The Quaffle, however, arched beautifully and floated gracefully through the right hoop, making the score now 210-70.

"And Gryffindor is a Snitch-Catch away from victory!" Roared the announcer. In fact, Remus and Nero had both sighted the Snitch again, and were diving towards it. 

"The seekers are neck and neck towards the Snitch!" But the chasers did not lose focus. Kravitch immediately grabbed the Quaffle and raced back towards Will Johnson. He dodged Evus and Max well, leaving only James. The beaters, Marcus and Sirius, however, came to the rescue, battering the oncoming attackers with the bludgers, leaving only Kravitch and James.

Kravitch faked left, then right, then right again and finally accelerated under James. James flipped around and lunged for Kravitch, attempting to make life slightly easier for Will, but came up with only air. Kravitch now rose above Will and threw the Quaffle ferociously downwards. Will lunged back, but lost his balance, and the ball bounced off his knee, back through the hoop.

"The game is back out of reach for Lupin!" Yelled the announcer. Remus was extending his hand for the Snitch when he heard that a retrieval would now only garner a tie; and Remus was afraid of what might decide such a result should he do so. Seeing Lestrange nearing him rapidly, he cupped his hand and flung the Snitch down and away from both of them. Its wings struggled against the direction it was flying, then regained its composure and shot off.

Lestrange, however, was quick to follow and roared after it. Remus tailed him closely. 

Meanwhile, Will quickly recovered the Quaffle after having allowed it to get past him, and threw a long pass to James. He rolled and ducked and faked his way past Kravitch and Morran, as well as both beaters and the bludgers they shot. Now, he was only facing the one chaser and the keeper. He looked up. There were Nero Lestrange and Remus, both reaching out desperately for the fleeing Snitch. 

Thinking of only one thing he could do to aid Gryffindor's situation, he shot towards the Slytherin goal, stunning the chaser with his speed, and moving towards the goal. The seekers were flying parallel to him, and he found that he could not out-fake the keeper. He simply shot straight for him, and held out his right hand, holding the Quaffle. He swerved at the last moment, and collided with the outstretched keeper, and as they swung, he gently tossed the Quaffle through. As he looked up, Remus Lupin snagged the Golden Snitch.

Remus nearly leapt off his broom just then, but flew quickly to the center of the pitch and landed on the grass. The Gryffindor players surrounded him in the air, until James arrived and positively jumped off his broom to embrace Remus. Sirius quickly joined them, throwing his club into the air, and grabbing Remus underneath his outstretched arms, which were lofting his broom and the captured Snitch into the air. Evus, then the rest joined in the fray, the ground soon was littered with brooms and clubs. The only protrusion from the heap of gold and scarlet robes was Remus's hand, clutching the Golden Snitch, showing it off for all to see.


	4. Chapter Four: The Durmstrang Professor

A/N: WARNING: This book is a sequel! If you don't want to be in the dark, read my first "The Howl of the Moon", (id# 882673) which chronicles MWPP in their first year. This is about their second year. Also, I own nothing! Please R/R!

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Chapter Four:

The Durmstrang Professor

On Sunday was the other game of the week, and of course it was Hufflepuff versus Ravenclaw. This game was the opposite of the Gryffindor-Slytherin match, in that it was the most anticipated game for 7 years. Ravenclaw had the best squad (next to Hufflepuff, of course) in ages, and it seemed that they might be able to pull off a tremendous upset of the eight-year running champions Hufflepuff.

"You see, Ravenclaw's always been carried by their keeper, that's Harold Chang. He's been on the team since his second year." Explained Sirius. "They've got veteran beaters; sixth and seventh years, and three young chasers that should be a lot better than last year. To top it all off, Sean Davies is in his second year now, and he's thought to be the best seeker prospect in England!" 

After hurrying up with homework yet to be done, the group ran down to the pitch, and filed into the last remaining student seats available (Lily and Mary were forced to sit away from James, Sirius, Remus, and Peter).

Not a single point was scored in the first three hours of the game. 

"This is exciting as ever!" Yelled Sirius. "The chasers on both teams aren't allowing any movement! The beaters are smashing anyone who comes near the goal! And the keepers have been FANTASTIC!" But just then, it was Hufflepuff that finally put the Quaffle past Harold Chang. Then, two minutes later, they added another.

"NO!" Screamed Sirius. Even Slytherins and Gryffindors were rooting for Ravenclaw, as the Hufflepuff dynasty was getting quite annoying. Despite the incredible length of the game, the crowd was fierce and passionate, booing the Hufflepuffs incredibly (Ravenclaw, Slytherin, and Gryffindor drowning out Hufflepuff spectacularly), and cheering for every good thing done by Ravenclaw. 

Sirius was watching the action carefully with his binoculars, when they wandered to the teacher section. 

"Hey, who's that?" He asked. James and Remus put their binoculars up as well. 

"That man with the beard, that Dumbledore and Scuro and the Fat Friar are talking to..."

"And Hufflepuff adds another! Thirty to nothing! Amazing!" 

"NO!" Sirius screamed again. But soon they were uplifted. "Beat those buggers, Ravenclaw!" He yelled.

"DAVIES IS GOING FOR THE SNITCH!" Remus screamed. Soon the announcer noticed as well.

"Davies, with a clear lead over the Hufflepuff chaser is flying downwards fast, the Snitch in his sights! Oh my! HE'S GOT IT! RAVENCLAW WIN! RAVENCLAW WIN!" The stands nearly exploded as Ravenclaw supporters leapt into the air and celebrated. Ravenclaw players quickly grounded themselves and piled onto Sean Davies. 

"What an exciting match!" Said James hoarsely as they left the stands. Mary and Lily, however, were yawning.

"That was too long." Lily said.

"That was spec_tacular_!" Replied Sirius. "Especially the part where Hufflepuff lost, the bumbling gits." After much bickering about what makes a game exciting, the group finally went to bed, for the game had started at eight, and there was school tomorrow.

James and Sirius had stayed up much of the night, quietly but excitedly discussing Quidditch, the most excitement they had ever had on the subject since the dismal loss of Wales to Spain in the World Cup.

Unfortunately, James and Sirius had not come upon the fact that Gryffindor's next game would be against Hufflepuff until late in the night, which was when they had went to bed (for it killed their enthusiasm quite ruthlessly). This meant, of course, that they were late getting up the next day. 

Thanks to Remus, Sirius and James made it to Transfiguration fine. Unfortunately, however, making it to class was not the only battle they would have to fight with their tiredness.

"Mister Potter! Mister Black! This is not a bedroom!" James suddenly lifted his head, realizing that class had been out for some time, and he and Sirius had fallen asleep.

"Sirius! Come on!" James and Sirius quickly ran from the room, and into the corridor.

"What do you think Sirius, the castle wall or the statue? Wall's quicker."

"Statue. I'm too tired for the wall; I don't want to go falling to my death." Sirius nodded, and they made their way quickly to a statue of some famous wizard of the fifth century, and climbed the stairs hidden behind it to the Charms corridor. With the door to the Charms room in sight, James and Sirius broke into a pure dash, making it barely to their seats when the bell rang.

"Very close Misters Black and Potter." Said Professor Flitwick, smiling, and he began the lesson. Almost instantly, sleepiness got a hold of James, and his head fell to his desk.

"JAMES!" He woke up with a start. He looked to his left, and Sirius was sitting there. The room was completely empty.

"What time is it?" James asked, looking around wildly. Sirius got up slowly.

"Don't worry, Herbology's not 'til-OH NO!" James saw the clock as well.

"We've slept through lunch!" James yelled.

"Well, I do feel refreshed!" Said Sirius as they hurried from the room.

"Class is in two minutes! We won't make to the greenhouse!" James said.

"James, this way!" Sirius said. "We'll go to our dormitory and get our broomsticks. We can fly down from there!" James nodded, and they ran to the nearest shortcut, and from its outlet to the Fat Lady's portrait. 

They swept quickly through the common room, and up to the dormitory.

"_Alohomora_!" Shouted James, unlocking one of the windows as he grabbed his broomstick. Sirius got his first, pushed open the window and leapt quickly. James mounted his in the room, then flew rapidly out after his friend. They shot nearly vertically downwards to the grass, sweeping up and flying at seventy miles per hour along it, around the castle to where the greenhouses were. When theirs came into view, James and Sirius quickly stopped theirs, hid their brooms, and ran at full length to Greenhouse Two. 

As they neared it, they heard the bell ring.

"Vanic's going to be angry!" Sirius said, as they passed Greenhouse One. But as they rounded through the open door into Greenhouse Two, preparing their excuses, they saw a new face in the greenhouse.

Instead of Professor Vanic, there was a new man. He was very tall and built, dark eyes and slick black hair. By contrast, he also had a scraggly large beard that came down to the top of his chest. It was the man they had seen at the Hufflepuff-Ravenclaw Quidditch match.

"I suggest, sirs, that you be ON TIME from now on." He said. "As I was saying," he continued as Sirius and James made their way to where the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs stood. "My name is Professor Krupp. I will be your Herbology instructor for the rest of this year, and most likely for a few years after. I taught formerly at Durmstrang before retirement," here he clenched his teeth and looked towards the ground for a moment, "and was contacted by Professor Dumbledore. I will keep to the class schedule provided by Friar Arus and Professor Vanic, but after this year I will be teaching my own course." He smiled, baring crooked teeth.

"That new professor, Krupp, is quite a fellow, wouldn't you say?" Said Remus as they made their way from the greenhouse. 

"He used to teach at _Durmstrang_. I heard that's like a school of Slytherins!" Said Sirius. 

"Please, Sirius." Said Lily. "He's a teacher. Dumbledore wouldn't have hired him if he knew he was...well, evil."

"Let's not worry about Krupp." Said James. "Let's worry about Quidditch. We're playing Hufflepuff in two weeks. They may have lost against Ravenclaw, but they played a lot better than we did." And then James, Sirius, and Remus launched into a discussion of strategy. After History of Magic the group did all their homework together, then relaxed, for once. 

Over the next two weeks they got to know Professor Krupp much better, though they did not like what they found. It appeared he did not like anyone from Gryffindor, and liked anyone from Hufflepuff even less. The Hufflepuffs often commented that although Krupp had become the new Herbology professor, they would never let him be Head of House, a position now held by the Care of Magical Creatures teacher and former Hufflepuff, Professor Kettleburn.

Gryffindor was playing Hufflepuff in the first match with snow on the ground, though it appeared it would not be falling during the match. After getting properly dressed and outfitted for the match, the team lined up behind the large wooden door that led out onto the pitch.

"Alright team." Began Evus. "This is Hufflepuff. This isn't Slytherin. We had a hard enough time beating the Snake, Hufflepuff is going to harder. We're going to have to play _relentlessly_. But you've heard it all before. With a little better defense, and a little better offense-"

"And a little better keeping-" Added Will, with his head down.

"Don't worry William. We got our kinks out in practice! We're a Quidditch machine now! Let's go out and upset them!" The team cheered, and Evus swung open the large door. They trotted out on to the snow-covered pitch. Unlike their game against the Slytherin, the players could practically _feel_ the spectators looking down upon them. There was much more importance on the outcome of this game. Ravenclaw had destroyed Slytherin the previous week, and if Hufflepuff did anything less than beat Gryffindor by thirty points more than Ravenclaw beat Slytherin, it would be very difficult for them to catch up in the standings.

Evus flew over to Remus.

"Remus...if there was any way you could break the Hogwarts record for fastest Snitch capture, I think that would help the team a great deal." Evus said, gulping. Remus smiled nervously, nodded a bit, then said,

"I'll see what I can do."

As James flew high above the pitch, racing from end to end at top speed, cruising and getting comfortable, he looked around until his eyes made it to the pitch. It appeared that Professor Krupp was talking to Marcus O'Reilly, the Gryffindor beater. Marcus was nodding along, smiling nervously. Krupp was leaning heavily upon a staff of some sort. Marcus seemed to say something to him, then quickly hopped onto his broom and flew off.

"Marcus!" James said, flying over to where he was. "What did Professor Krupp want?" Marcus shrugged.

"Just saying he wanted me to play well or something. 'Hit that bludger well' he said. Something about being a beater in his day. Telling me to knock those Hufflepuffs off their brooms."

"That's strange." Said James. "He's not a house head, he's not supposed to show favoritism. And to _Gryffindor_..."

"You're telling me. He hates me in Herbology class." 

"Well," said James as Professor Marus trotted out onto the pitch, "even if it is what Krupp asked you to do, please _do_ knock those Hufflepuffs off their brooms." Marcus nodded, and he and James flew into position.

After Marus gave the teams his usual pre-game talk, he released the bludgers and Snitch, and got onto his broomstick. He blew a short blast on his whistle and threw the Quaffle up into the air.

Again, James shot forward on his broom, darted between the large Hufflepuff chasers, and zoomed towards the Hufflepuff goal. He raised his hand to throw the Quaffle, but was suddenly struck by a bludger. The Quaffle was knocked away, and he nearly fell off his broom. After regaining balance, he flew at top speed back to his own goal. 

The three Hufflepuff chasers flew in quickly, passing the Quaffle back and forth at rapid pace. Marcus O'Reilly swung in out of nowhere, however, and smashed the bludger at the chaser in possession of the ball. 

The Gryffindors might have then thought that he had successfully disrupted the Chase, but the Hufflepuff chasers were too good. The chaser that had been hit by the jet black ball dropped the Quaffle, but quickly recovered by sweeping it to a teammate with the end of his broom. The teammate caught it, and swiftly threw it hard through the goal hoop. 

"Ten to nothing on Hardy's early goal!" Yelled the announcer. The game did not continue well for Gryffindor. After another 130 points, Gryffindor finally caught a break.

Will quickly took the Quaffle, and launched it far to James. As James cradled the Quaffle, he felt the pain in his arm from the bludger. He quickly noticed that one of the Hufflepuff chasers had already gotten back to defend.

He swerved left to avoid him, but the chaser moved in on his right, making any shot or pass very difficult. As the pitch narrowed, James found himself with increasingly less room on either side, between himself and the teachers' sections and the Hufflepuff chaser. Just as the chaser was making a move to knock James off his broom and take the Quaffle, salvation came in the form of a black speeding bludger, fresh off the club of Sirius. 

Now he sped over top of the falling chaser, and towards the Hufflepuff goal. In pulling from the side of the pitch to the center, James lost much of the lead he had on the other Hufflepuff chasers.

"JAMES! BLUDGER!" Came a scream of Remus Lupin, who was well above the action. He saw it over his right shoulder, and pulled his broom back to allow it to pass in front of him. Unfortunately, the Hufflepuff chasers caught up, the keeper moved out, and the bludger came back for another go. 

Even the Thunderbolt could not accelerate James quickly enough, and Hardy, the bludger, and another chaser collided with him all at once. The chasers on either side and the bludger struck his chest hard.

James was knocked straight back as Hardy took the Quaffle from him. He twisted around as he fell from his broom, and managed to hang from the levitating stick. 

"Aaagh!" He screamed loudly. The pain in his arm and through his whole chest was excruciating. He let his right hand go, now dangling only from his left arm. The pain in his right arm and the right side of his chest was relieved, but the pain on the left side of his chest increased. He let out another yell, and finally swung around so that his legs were wrapped around the broom. His robes were caught on it, so he could see the Hufflepuff Chase. 

He tried right away to lift himself up, but he found the pain in his chest too much. As he dangled from the broom he could hear the heckles of the Hufflepuff crowd, the desperate yells from Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, pleading him to return to the broom. He could hear Remus Lupin yelling loudly to the other chasers that James was injured.

James gave one more desperate lurch for the broom, but found he could not reach it. As he heard the announcer say that Hufflepuff had scored its 170th point, James realized the only way he could help the team. 

As Hufflepuff scored again, James released his foot grip on the broom and allowed himself to fall. As he hurtled towards the ground he heard the crowd give a lurch and a few loud screams, and just before he struck the snowy ground he hoped that he would not be run through by his own broomstick.

"TIME OUT!" Screamed Remus and Evus simultaneously. Professor Marus blew his whistle, and he and the Gryffindor team raced to where James was crumpled upon the field. They formed a circle around him as Hufflepuffs circled above. Professor Marus knelt in the snow next to James.

"_Ennervate_!" He said, pointing his wand at James. Suddenly James, who was laying face down, turned over with an expression of intense pain on his face. 

"_Dolor afflictio!_" He said next, and James suddenly sat up gasping.

"That feels much better..." He said, putting his hand to head.

"But you can't play." Said Marus bitterly. "You've got to get better. We can find a substi-"

"NO!" He yelled leaping to his feet. "I can play!"

"Your arm and ribs are still broken! I just temporarily reduced the pa-"

"It doesn't matter! I've got to play!" James walked the short distance to his broomstick and commanded it to his hand, wiping snow off his cloak.

"Let's go!" Marus looked at James coldly. But James could see Marus think it over; he was, after all, Gryffindor head of house. Finally, he had made up his mind.

"Take your brooms." He said and took his own. Soon after they were all in the air, Marus returned the Quaffle to Will Johnson. He blew the whistle.

James immediately blasted forth, raised his right hand to receive a bullet-pass from Evus, and tucked it under his arm. He zoomed straight past two chasers, and out-faked Hardy. 

After spinning on his broom and going under the last chaser, he swiftly dodged a bludger and zoomed straight towards the Hufflepuff keeper. As he neared the leftmost hoop, another bludger sped towards him.

"Got it!" Came a yell from Sirius, and he swept down to smash it at the Hufflepuff keeper. He dodged it, but James flung the ball hard through the far hoop, just past the keeper's fingertips.

"GRYFFINDOR SCORES! THE FIRST POINT ALLOWED BY THE HUFFLEPUFF KEEPER JACOBS YET!" 

The single score seemed to uplift Gryffindor. Though Hufflepuff continued to score points, Gryffindor made their way through the Hufflepuff defense much more often.

"And the score is a surprising 290 to 130!" Said the announcer. Evus led another Chase after an interception by Max Dorian. 

"Evus McQuent leading the Chase! Flanked by Potter and Dorian! He swerves past Lumb! Block by Hardy, but he passed it off to Dorian! Dorian long pass to Potter who SCOOOOOREESS! 290 to 140!" As Evus and Max swept back into the defensive zone, James remained in front of the keeper, Jacobs. 

As the pain began to return, James guarded him. Jacobs chuckled, then flung the ball downwards towards Lumb. James pushed his broom forward, and stretched forward painfully. He deflected the ball away, then chased after it quickly. Before Lumb could reach it, James grabbed the Quaffle with his right hand, and painfully launched it to Evus, who threw it in with two hands. 

James nodded excitedly (for one hand was gripping his broom and the other arm broken), then flew quickly towards the other end.

The Hufflepuff chaser Constance zoomed ahead of the rest, faking firing the Quaffle, trying to get Will to flinch. As he attempted to catch up to the Chase, James looked up to see Remus and the Hufflepuff seeker climbing vertically towards the Snitch.

"HE'S GOING FOR THE SNITCH!" James yelled as the announcer began to say so as well.

Constance was about to put the game out of reach when Marcus swung his club hard, smashing the bludger straight downwards, narrowly missing Constance's head, and smashing his right shoulder. He fell forward on his broom, and the Quaffle fell from his hands.

"Got it!" Yelled Evus, and he flew downwards, stealing it quickly, and racing down to ground level. Meanwhile, Remus and the Hufflepuff chaser Kelly were within inches of the glittering Snitch. It reached its border, however, and could go no higher. It instantly shot directly downwards, past both of them. Remus quickly put both feet on the broom, and swung it 180 degrees. In turning so tightly he knocked Kelly back, then shot straight downwards.

Gravity now working with him, Remus flew like a bullet towards the snowy pitch. He easily grasped the Golden Snitch, and attempted to pull up as much as possible. He saw that as he neared the ground, and was almost level, he would not make it, so he leapt from the broom and landed in the soft snow. 

As more flakes began to fall, the team leapt joyously from their brooms at low level, and crowded around Remus again. James was last getting there, and slowed by his again excruciating injury, made his way to the happy crowd. He was welcomed excitedly, and after hugging Remus and Sirius, looked out over the crowd above happily. His eyes, however, made their way to an unnerving scene.... He saw Professor Krupp, who had hated him so much in class, looking down onto the pitch...not at the happy band of Gryffindors, but somewhere else...and it was not his usual grim face and cold expression, but ferocious clapping hands and a broad grin.


	5. Chapter Five: The Stag, The Dog, The Wol...

A/N: WARNING: This book is a sequel! If you don't want to be in the dark, read my first "The Howl of the Moon", (id# 882673) which chronicles MWPP in their first year. This is about their second year. Also, I own nothing! Please R/R!

****

~~~

Chapter Five:

The Stag, The Dog, The Wolf, and The Rat

The whole Gryffindor team came to visit James after the Quidditch match. He was laying in bed, his bones almost fully magically healed. Firmus Constance, the Hufflepuff Chaser, was also there, with a dislocated arm and fifteen broken bones. 

"James! How are you doing?" Asked Sirius. He smiled.

"I'm doing well, Sirius! And you all?" The whole team nodded and murmured that they were doing well, and were much more concerned about James.

"Well, I should be back to practice by tomorrow!" Said James. Sirius nodded.

"Not that you need it, eh James? We creamed those pathetic Hufflepuffs! What a bunch of incompetents!" James's eyes moved from Sirius, to over his shoulder, were Firmus was lying. He was sitting up, frowning at them. He pulled his curtain shut.

Over the course of the next week, no one was in the spotlight more than the Gryffindor Quidditch team, especially Remus. Defeating Hufflepuff in an incredible upset was so spectacular, that not a single Gryffindor passed by any member of the squad without shaking his hand or giving him a pat on the back. 

Even Ravenclaws were congratulating them, because they had made their chances much better. They were not worried about the Gryffindors, however, since it was nearly everyone's line of thinking that the sole reason for Gryffindor's victory was Remus's seeking, and they were sure Sean Davies was unbeatable. 

Hufflepuffs remained resentful, of course, and Slytherins for the most part ignored the fact that Gryffindor toppled the mighty giant and hated them sheerly because of the long-time rivalry between the two. 

"Remus! James, Sirius!" Remus, James, Sirius, and the rest, who were all returning from Herbology, turned to see Frank Longbottom and his friends. 

"And how's my baby brother doing?" Asked Mary with an intention of embarrassment. Frank blushed and said,

"I'm fine." He turned to the Quidditchers present.

"You guys were great in the last match!" He said excitedly.

"Yeah, you were fantastic!" Added one of his friends.

"Frank, why don't you introduce us?" Asked Sirius, pointing to Frank's friends.

"Ah, er, yeah." He said smiling. He pointed to the boy to his left, who was tall, brown-eyed and –haired, and had a fair face.

"This is Alastor Moody."

"Al for short." Alastor corrected. They nodded. 

"This," Frank continued, turning to a shorter, red-haired boy, "is Mundungus Fletcher."

"Gus." Mundungus quickly added with a blush. Gus and Al moved aside so that the two others with them could be seen. 

"This is Marius Constance." Frank said, nodding towards him. 

"Ah, you must be Firmus's brother." James said. Marius was almost identical to Firmus; both had sandy brown hair, light blue eyes and a distinguished nose.

James smiled brightly at Marius to annoy him, and he noticed the Hufflepuff badge on his cloak. He looked around and saw the Hufflepuff emblem on the cloaks of Mundungus and a girl he had yet to introduce.

"And this," Frank said, smiling, and with a look in his eye that neither Sirius nor James nor any of the group could discern, "is Sarah Neville." The Society members smiled, nodded, told Frank's friends how good it was to meet them, and continued on their way back to the Great Hall for a speedy dinner. Frank and Alastor followed, though Sarah, Gus, and Marius had to go to Transfiguration class. 

"Friends with Hufflepuffs?" Asked James to Mary. "What's your brother getting into?" He asked.

"What's wrong with Hufflepuff?" Asked Mary. Remus sighed.

"They're the worst house in Hogwarts, that's what."

The second-years collapsed in the chairs as soon as they reached the hall, as today had been their worst schedule-day. 

"And still Dark Arts and Astronomy to go!" Remus said as he piled a mound of mashed potatoes onto his plate.

"Not too much." Said James. "Dark Arts is ten minutes." Remus grumbled and put nothing else on his plate.

"And this Wednesday I've got a transformation coming up." Remus moaned, though quietly enough such that the first years could not hear.

"Aww." Chorused Mary and Lily and they rubbed Remus's shoulder and arm sympathetically. James frowned for a moment at the attention Remus gained from the girls. But instantly he thought that Remus surely deserved it and more, and James would easily trade all his friends in the world to put an end to Remus's werewolf transformations. 

As he quickly ate, James pondered about this further.

"Come on, James!" Sirius said, minutes later, breaking James from his trance. As usual, only those who were in the Society were left among second year Ravenclaws and Gryffindors, and everyone suspected they would be late. James stuffed the last of the roast beef into his mouth, and hungrily eyed his plate as he got up to leave for Double Defense against the Dark Arts with Professor Dumbledore and the Ravenclaws. 

Their usual Thursday evening routine for going from the Great Hall to the DATDA Corridor was to go to the Charms corridor, which was much nearer to the ground level, and sneak into a small closet, out it's window, and up a magical ladder on the side of one of the castle's buttresses. Lily and Mary went first (the ladder was wide enough for two young people), then Peter and Sirius (because Sirius was the strongest among them, and he could keep Peter from falling the best), and finally James and Remus. 

"I wish we didn't have to scale this thing on an empty stomach, and in the cold." Groaned James as he plunged his hand into the brick, and grabbed onto a hidden rung. After a few moments of rapid climbing, they made their way up four stories, to a girls bathroom in the DATDA Corridor. As usual, Lily and Mary looked around to check if any girls were in the bathroom, and, as usual, there were none, since the bell would be ringing so soon. 

They all quickly fled the bathroom, brushed off the light snow that had begun to fall, and made their way casually to the Defense room. The six filed in and made there way to the desks, seated among Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. This year, DATDA classes were centered on foreign dark lands, where different forms of magic and different dark creatures ran about. 

"As you know," Professor Dumbledore began shortly after the bell rang, "we last year covered the Chimaera Mage, more commonly referred to as the Metamagus." Most of the class simply seemed interested, but they did not know that only a few months previous six of those present in the class had learned a great deal about Metamagi from a personal experience. Dumbledore had kept both occurrences with the Metamagus quite under wraps. 

"It would appear that Metamagicism is becoming...," Dumbledore glanced at Remus, "popular among the dark forces. So I have decided that it would be best for us to do a little anti-Metamagus practice, since we have just been covering Chimaeras, and Professor McGonagall tells me she will begin brief instruction about Animagi. Now I doubt you will be able to fell a Metamagus at your young ages," Dumbledore now looked at James, "but you still may need _something_ to defend yourself against. At the least, _desmetus magus _may harm or ward off one of the evil cousins of the Animagus."

At that moment, James, who had not really been listening, considering he was already a Metamagus expert, took notice when Dumbledore said "Animagus", for some reason. He was pondering what it would be like to be an Animagus, and what he would be if he were one. He was thinking of swift, four-legged animals like tigers and lions when he thought of the wolf. 

As Dumbledore had said, McGonagall did begin a brief instruction on Animagi the next day.

"Unfortunately, the number of unregistered, and illegal, Animagi remains higher than those registered, by the latest estimates. Animagicism is a powerful tool, however, most people find that the training process to become one is long enough with the Ministry of Magic becoming involved."

At this James chuckled a bit. Becoming an illegal Animagus was so far fetched, it would be so difficult...such an academic challenge, not to mention a challenge to keep from getting in trouble. It suddenly clicked with James.

"Uhm, Professor?" He asked, his voice going a little higher than usual.

"Yes, James?" Responded Professor McGonagall.

"I was just wondering...are there any relations between an Animagus and a werewolf?" He said, gulping. Remus uncontrollably looked over at James, then the rest of the Gryffindors did, save the three girls in the class ignorant to Remus's condition.

"Er...," McGonagall began, glancing at Sandra, Fannie, and Dhelia, as she knew they did not know. "Well, you see, Animagicism actually has its roots in werewolves." She said gulping, and now glancing between Remus and James.

"In the older days, witches and wizards sought ways to control werewolfishness. When they found that nothing could be done for werewolves," she looked sympathetically at Remus for a half-moment, "they began to think of ways to become wolves at will, without the werewolf bite. 

"Transfiguration was a well documented magic then, and it was through it that they sought to do this. The most trained scholars embarked upon the Grand Experiment, to slowly learn such a myriad of complex transfiguration spells, that when they simultaneously performed them, they could become a wolf at will.

"They did so by studying, in a surprisingly advanced scientific manner, what makes the werewolf transform. After decades of study and magical honing, Romulus the Great did it, and was able to transform into a wolf at will. He was called The Lupumagus, Wolf Mage. He used his power to befriend the werewolves, who had formed clans and were attacking wizard communities at night in search of more to add to their clan. It appeared that Lupumagi could communicate with werewolves. They were less vicious. More human." James glanced at Remus; he was paying great attention, as were Sirius and Lily.

"Over time it became clear that wizards could transform into other forms of animals, and that they too could communicate and pacify the werewolves. Each form of Animagus has its own name, but when it became clear that any animal could be achieved the term "Animagus" was coined." She had been looking down for a good deal of her lecture, and suddenly popped her head. She blushed a bit and said,

"I apologize for the history lesson. I did not mean to take time away from Transfiguration." Though James was very interested in what she had to say, and he was easily the only who would normally mind if any time were taken from Transfiguration.

"Fortunately, much of what I wanted to say was in that tangent. Have I answered your question sufficiently, Mister Potter?" James nodded quickly, and she smiled.

"Good." And she moved quickly away from werewolves and into other topics on Animagi, to which James closely listened.

As Remus had said, his transformation would be occurring on Wednesday, and that was five short days away. It could not have come at a worse time, for little more than a week later Gryffindor was playing Slytherin, and on top of that a heavy snowstorm was predicted.

"Let the fiftieth meeting of the Society of Lion's Fire commence, _Nonas December, 2721 ab urbe candita._" James said, and tapped his gavel on the arm his chair. That night, Remus was having his transformations, and instead, Mary read the agenda.

"I was planning two things for tonight, originally." Began James. "But unfortunately, I was unable to get the first ready for tonight, so I will just have to go on with the one. Tonight is our fiftieth meeting, and it has been called tonight especially, for this is the day and time on which our first meeting was held exactly eleven months ago."It is unfortunate that on our fiftieth meeting, Remus should be having his transformation. But it is to our advantage as well; I have something to discuss about him."

"Behind his back?" Asked Sirius, sounding offended. James shook his head.

"I would like it to be a surprise. His Christmas present." The Society members were taken a little off-guard by this, because none of them had much money themselves, last Christmas was nothing but an exchange of trinkets between them (though the Lupins were wealthy, and Remus's parents got all his friends something nice). 

"I think Remus among us suffers the most; his werewolf transformations are a curse worse than anything that any of us have experienced. And we're his friends, and we should be there for him. However, what I am going to suggest is more than any friend could ask of another. And I understand if none of you wish to undertake it with me.

"And that is, to become Animagi." The Society collectively shrieked at the proposition, but Sirius quickly gathered his wits.

"I'll do it, James." He said bravely, standing up. 

"I won't!" Mary quickly said. "I don't even know what purpose you intend on achieving by doing it!"

"Didn't you hear McGonagall?" James asked sternly. "She said that Animagi can be with werewolves, and they can communicate, and werewolves become more sane. We can do this to help Remus!" Mary shook her head.

"I still won't." She said firmly. James nodded.

"Yes, I knew some wouldn't want to. Lily?" He asked turning to her. "I reckon we need three. Are you in?" She squinted for a moment, then stood up.

"No. I won't." James nearly jumped back in shock. 

"What?" He had clearly expected Mary and Peter to back down, but he was counting on Lily for his third.

"This is too much. You, and Sirius, and Remus are always causing trouble! And I'm okay with it, sometimes I even join in, there's no harm in breaking a few school rules....But this is the _law_, James! This is a lifetime in Azkaban, James!" Her voice had now risen. James looked a little offended, and taken aback. But he quickly came to his senses, and realized he should have guessed she was going to respond like this.

"Fine." He said, a little angry. "Peter?" He asked turning to him. He had intended on asking Peter before, but he had also expected on him saying no, because Peter was not as brave as James or Sirius, and if they already had the three that James wanted, then he would certainly back down. But now James needed a third, and thought he could count on him.

"Will you become an Animagus with us?" He asked sternly, and the thought of Peter's academic ineptitude crossed his mind briefly. Peter was nearly shaking. 

"Er...yes, yes I will!" He said, gulping. James smiled.

"There. Peter is truly a loyal friend." He said, mistaking Peter's gutless imitation and desperate desire to be included for faithful companionship. 

James had earlier decided that two of them would have to be large animals able to keep Remus in check. He also decided a third was necessary, and that it would have to be small and able to touch the Achilles' Knot of the Whomping Willow. 

"I shall be a great dog!" Said Sirius. "Almost like a bear." He said, nodding. James nodded as well.

"Good. Now I'll be something big as well, and you Peter, can be our small one. Is that okay with you?" He asked. Peter, who had been looking down and fumbling with his robes, suddenly looked up.

"Yes, yes! That's excellent! I'll do it!" He said quickly.

"Good." James nodded towards him, and sat back in his chair, thinking, "now what shall I be?"

"I hope that I am right in assuming," said Sirius, "that you girls are trustworthy with our secret?" Lily frowned, but said,

"Yes. I shall keep your secret, as much as it disturbs me." Mary agreed as well.

"I think," said James, looking upon the seal of the Society, "that I will be a stag. Fast, powerful, agile ...yes, definitely a stag." The group could easily see from where came James's inspiration.

They all remembered as vividly as yesterday the day when Ian Vedol, a mysterious Metamagus, struck at the Lupin household in the hope of capturing Remus and using him for dark purposes. A stag had come out of the forest to aid James, and he rode on its back, and it helped him defeat Vedol and keep Remus from running off. They still did not know the agent that had sent him, other than his alleged father, who fled. 

"And you will be?" Sirius asked Peter. He put his head up again.

"Er...." He had thought all was necessary was to agree to being something small. He didn't know what sort of small thing he might be. It was such a big decision! 

"A rat." He said quickly. James, Sirius, and the girls were somewhat shocked by this proclamation. 

_I certainly wouldn't want to be a rat_, thought Sirius. _But whatever strikes his fancy..._.

"Alright Peter." Sirius said. "That will certainly work." 

"Then it's settled!" Said James. "The Stag, The Dog, The Wolf, and The Rat!" 

Lily slumped back in her chair, and frowning, sighed.


	6. Chapter Six: Moony

A/N: WARNING: This book is a sequel! If you don't want to be in the dark, read my first "The Howl of the Moon", (id# 882673) which chronicles MWPP in their first year. This is about their second year. Also, I own nothing! Please R/R!

****

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Chapter Six:

Moony

After the meeting, with the boys sworn to become Animagi, and the girls sworn to secrecy, they wasted no time in beginning the studies. They gathered literature on the subject; advanced Transfiguration books, books on Animagi, as well as a dictionary of variables that were to be inserted in the Transfigures per animal.

They had found the true names for their Magic, James was to be a Cervumagus. Sirius was to be a Canimagus (though there was a much more specific name for his particular genus and species). Peter was to be a Mûsmagus. 

As they had feared, Remus's transformation effected his play in the match versus Slytherin, and Lestrange was able to get to the Snitch just before Remus had. It was the first time Gryffindor held the lead before the game ended, and was also the first time Remus failed to capture the Snitch. It evened the score between Slytherin and Gryffindor, as well as between Lestrange and Remus. 

Neither Ravenclaw nor Hufflepuff cared about the Slytherin victory, only about the fact that Hufflepuff defeated Ravenclaw in surprising fashion (they scored a whopping fifty points before Kelly captured the Snitch). Slytherin had many a good laugh about it, and Gryffindor was sympathetic towards Remus (for they thought he was sick), and those who knew his true condition felt even worse for him. The Gryffindors did congratulate the other Gryffindor players, however, who played very well, as they were winning 170 to forty. 

And so, by Christmas time, Remus was feeling and looking worse than his friends had seen him thus far. The group decided that they would all stay at school for the holiday.

"Happy Christmas!" Yelled James as he sat up suddenly. Remus had been laying awake in bed for a bit before then, but got up when James did. Sirius and Peter were aroused, and they all quickly grabbed their mounds of presents and ran down to the common room, where Lily and Mary were waiting and talking, their presents before them, unopened.

"Shall we dig in, or do this in some order?" Asked Lily.

"Order!" Said James, smiling, for he was very excited. Not for what he might be receiving, but for what he was giving, and he wanted to present in dramatic fashion.

"Alright." Said Remus mopily, shrugging. He was even now already dreading his next transformation, which wasn't for another week and a half, and Remus usually ignored it until the last minute.

"First, we'll get all of the presents from the relatives out of the way!" Said James, and they tore through their presents (the ones they would normally be more excited about), and they kids found many books, and the Quidditch players new pads and books on Quidditch. 

"Now, for each others' gifts. Uhm, first the gifts from Lily!" Said James, raising a finger authoritatively.

"Alright, then! Sirius, you go first, then clockwise." Said Lily wisely, for that left Remus as last. 

The Society got drawings from Lily, for she fancied herself an artist. James got one of a stag, and Sirius a great black dog, which Remus did entirely understand. He knew James liked stags, but thought it odd that Lily would draw Sirius a Grim, a commonly known death-omen.

From Lily the present giving went clockwise as well, leaving James the last present giver. Mary was next, and got everyone small good luck charm totem poles carved from chalk she got from her father, and painted with watercolors. Each was specialized, with their face, something depicting at what they were best, and what Mary called a portrait of their personality. James's was a stag, and Sirius's the bear-dog (also, Sirius's had a heart), and Peter's a rattail. Remus's was the moon, which everyone briefly thought may have upset him, but it did not, and he simply smiled and put it next to Lily's drawn dragon for him. 

Next was Peter, and his specialty was Herbology, so he got everyone small magical flowers. Each was a different color and had a different characteristic. James was a red one grew when it was near a flame. Sirius's was deep, dark blue and it grew in the dark. Remus's was white, and shone brightly in moonlight. 

Now it was Remus's turn to give presents (and for everyone to open those received from the Lupin family, which were all heavy, expensive books). Remus wrote everyone a poem, describing their good attributes. But in each one his depression was evident. 

Sirius's were potions. 

"My best subjects are Charms and Transfiguration, but I'm not good enough to get anything worthwhile. I guessed Peter would do something with Herbology, and that Remus would do something with Astronomy," Remus chuckled a bit, "though it doesn't matter that he didn't because I'm bad at it. And Defense against the Dark Arts...well, like anyone here needs it!" He said with another laugh. "And History...so, that left Potions. So here, I've concocted everyone a little something!" James received a red draught that restored stamina. Peter got a potion that made plants grow better. Lily and Mary received Love Potions (or so Sirius claimed), and Remus got the same as James. 

Now, much to his overflowing joy, it was James's turn to present. 

"Now, first, of course, is Sirius." Sirius picked up the small, flat package from James, his only one remaining. 

"For my faithful friend, and defender on the Quidditch field!" Sirius ripped open his package from James to find he had gotten a book on Beater strategy.

"James, did you pay for this?" He shrieked. He thanked James, and James moved on. 

"For Lily, my academic rival!" She slowly tore the paper from her gift to find a notebook, on the front of which was scrawled "Transfig" in James's handwriting.

"What's this?" She asked. James laughed.

"It's my Transfig' notes! Thought you might need them!" He laughed loudly and Sirius joined him. Lily scoffed, and threw the thick notebook down.

"Just kidding!" Said James through his laughter, and he walked over to pick it up. He opened it up and gave it back to Lily, and she saw it had a small box of Honeydukes' best chocolate. Lily's jaw dropped, and she pulled it from the cut out hole made in the notebook paper. She put down the chocolate, and gave James a peck on the cheek. James quickly retreated to his seat, blushing furiously. 

After a moment of getting over it, he turned to Mary. 

"And a box of chocolates for you as well." He said, trying to make it seem as if perhaps he was giving chocolates to all girls, not just Lily, in case anyone might suspect he fancied her.

"For Peter, a loyal companion and faithful follower!" Peter eagerly ripped open his present to reveal a small, unmarked and unadorned silver ring. 

"It's called a Fidelius Ring. If I tell you secret, then the secret will be written on the inside of the ring, and you won't be able to tell the secret to anyone! Not unless you take off the ring, and roll a piece of paper up, then put it in the middle of the ring, then it will be written on the paper. Nifty, eh?" James said. Peter nodded, and squeaked "thank you" barely audibly.

"And now," said James, taking a deep breath and grinning widely, "for Remus's present." At this moment, Remus looked down and noticed no parcel lay in front of him. Confused, he looked back at James.

"Remus, this present is from me, and Sirius, and Peter. And I apologize for not getting you something besides, like Peter and Sirius, but I think you'll like it. You probably won't get the effects of it until possibly the last year or two of school here at Hogwarts, but hopefully it will be worth it, and you'll know we care...." James trailed off, and did not speak for a few seconds.

"Well?" Asked Remus, curious of all the extra attention his gift was receiving, and the odd clues James had given of it. James started to speak, but then stopped himself. He looked at the portrait hole, then all around the room, and up the staircases. He returned to their circle.

"Remus, we're going to become Animagi." Remus did not move. His expression remained the same, and he stared unblinkingly at James.

"You see, it's like Professor McGonagall said! When a werewolf is with an Animagi, and both are in their animal states, then the werewolf's suffering is diminished.

"Y-you're going to become Animagi? You're all twelve years old!" He said, shocked.

"I know, but...I know we can do it! And you'll be so much happier when we can be with you!"

"Aren't you all too young to be Animagi? Aren't there rules and things?" He asked, frowning. James gulped.

"Well...you see, we're sort of going to _step around _the rules for this..." He nervously looked at Remus as he pondered what James had said.

"You're...going to break the law?" James meekly nodded.

"Cool!" He said suddenly, and began to cry. "No one's ever done something like this for me before!" He said. Sirius at once strode across the circle and embraced Remus, and James quickly joined as well. Peter meagerly hugged Remus from behind, and the girls sat, each also coming to tears a bit. 

Finally, after five or ten seconds, they broke the hug, Remus wiping his tears away quickly for fear of being feminine, and they sat down. 

"Well, what are you all going to be?" James stood up once again.

"I'm going to be a stag. And Sirius a dog. That way we can keep you in check if you get out of hand!" Peter stood up at once.

"And I'll be a rat, so I can sneak in small places, and touch the knot of the Whomping Willow!" Remus smiled widely. 

After a delicious Christmas feast, Remus went happily to bed, now still accepting that he would become a werewolf in a week, but knowing now that it would be okay. 

Remus, like the other boys, made a small shrine of his Christmas gifts on his nightstand. Lily's dragon was leaning against the wall, Mary's carving standing on one side, Sirius's phial in a stand on the other, and Peter's white flower in the middle. 

School started again on Thursday, the day before the next full moon, and not even Professor Krupp could put a damper in his mood.

"Good, Malfoy. Very good, this is excellent work." Remus heard Krupp say as the entered the greenhouse. The last group, Ravenclaw and Slytherin first years, was still making its way out of the room. The sight initially shocked all of them; Professor Krupp was examining a plant, and patting a boy on the shoulder, with a smile across his face.

"You too, Avery, this work is top notch." 

"See you later Professor Krupp!" Said Malfoy, a blonde drawling voiced boy. And Professor Krupp _waved_. The Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs were so stricken that they didn't even move out of the way.

"Excuse me," said Malfoy, "but if you could move your arse out of the way so I could leave." James frowned immediately at the boy. He moved out of the way, but as he passed, gave him a shove in the back when Krupp wasn't looking.

"You respect your elders, boy." Said Sirius, gripping Malfoy on his shoulder and speeding his exit as well. Avery quickly followed with a mean glance, as well as another boy whose name they did not know. As the Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs began seating themselves, the last Ravenclaw went up to Professor Krupp's desk.

"This is rubbish." He said meanly. "I don't want to see filth like this again, do you understand me?" The Ravenclaw's head sunk and he nodded vaguely. 

"Good." Krupp said gruffly. "Now get out of here!" The Ravenclaw quickly ran out of the greenhouse. 

"Now," Krupp said with a revolting sneer, "for the Gryffindors," he said with complete revulsion, "and the Hufflepuffs." He added, his tone lightening sarcastically. 

Remus, James, Sirius, and Peter finished early (as no matter how poor Krupp's curve was for the Gryffindors, Peter was still near top of the class, and always finished quickly). It appeared that Krupp was in a bad mood, so the four did not make much noise.

"So," began Remus, whispering. "When shall you all begin to...well, become what you're going to become?" He asked excitedly.

"We've already begun!" Whispered Sirius back, with equal excitement. "I've already learned the first Transfigure of the Canimagi!" Remus's jaw dropped.

"Really? Already! That's great! You'll be Stag, Dog, and Rat in no time!" Suddenly, from above there came a coughing sound. The four, terrified, looked up to see the snarling face of Professor Krupp.

"Ah, er, Professor!" Said James, forcing a laugh. "How long have you been standing there?" He asked, though he immediately regretted it, for it made him sound more guilty.

"Just a moment." He said, and looked intently upon James. "What were you talking about, just now?" 

"Oh! Er, nothing, really." Said James quickly.

"Pipedreams! Imagination, that sort of thing." Added Sirius quickly. 

"I'm writing a book!" Piped Peter suddenly. They all looked at him, and Krupp did so with an element of disgust on his face.

"I highly doubt, Pettigrew, that you have the capability." Peter gulped.

"Well, you know...I'm always trying new things...." He muttered.

"Good. Then I'd like to read the book. Have it on my desk by next week." Krupp began to walk away, and James suddenly stood up.

"No, Professor!" He said suddenly. "Oh, er, well, you see, he hasn't _started_ writing it...and it may take him a very long time!" Krupp's eyes dwindled to tiny slits like that of a snake. 

"Fine." He spat. "Then have the first _chapter_ on my desk by _Monday._ Consider it a homework assignment." Again Krupp started to move away, but now Sirius suddenly stood.

"Oh, er, well, Professor, it's not about Herbology!" He said quickly.

"I know. I heard you." Krupp turned on his heel and walked away. "Monday, Pettigrew!" He said as the bell rang. The four exited the greenhouse, white as ghosts, with Mary and Lily right behind.

"What's the matter?" Asked Lily to James.

"Nothing, nothing really." Said James. 

"Only just that Professor Krupp may have just possibly maybe found out that we might possibly try to become Animagi." Lily shrieked.

"I knew it!" She screamed. "I knew you would all get caught, though I hadn't presumed it would be this soon! Oh, the trouble you are all in!" James put his hand up.

"No! We can get out of this. We don't know how much of the conversation Krupp heard, but we can explain it with the book!" Peter was now gripping his things tightly, and clenching his jaw.

"Don't worry, Peter, I'll help you write it." Said Remus. 

"Yes, Remus is an excellent author. But we have to use it to explain the things we said! 

"If only there were more time today, we might think of a plan, but today's our worst schedule, so we'll think of something tomorrow!" And the six made for Charms.

"Magic...is a fickle art." Said Professor Flitwick. "Many think that wand is the key to magic. This is not true. Magic is in the very blood and flesh of every witch and wizard. Wand's are powerful tools in concentrating and directing that magic. But the true power lies within us!" 

Remus was paying no attention. He was scribbling things for the story. He doodled four wizards, each becoming powerful animals. He wrote some names and some plot lines, when Flitwick interrupted him. 

"Mister Lupin. I suggest you pay attention. You never know when these things may come in handy." Remus blushed, and quickly put the things away, and opened his book.

On Friday, after they had no more classes, they met in the common room.

"Alright, let's get to work on this thing!" James said.

"Okay." Said Peter with a deep breath.

"Alright. I've been thinking our whole conversation should go into the book! That way we can say that we were saying the lines over for Peter, because he wanted to know if they sounded right." Said Remus.

"That's an excellent idea!" Said James. 

"Good. Now let's get down to the penning." Peter nodded, gulping, and put his quill to the parchment.

"Start out with something easy, and classic. Once upon a time!" Said Remus. Peter nodded, and wrote it as neatly as he could.

"Once upon a time...there were four powerful wizards!" Said Remus. Peter nodded and added that as well. 

"Lupus, Mûs, Canis, and Cervus." Said James with a grin. Peter nodded and wrote the names down, misspelling them all. 

"Yes, that's good." Remus said with a chuckle. "Now, let's see, we'll start off right with our conversation! Do you remember it Peter?" Peter nodded, and wrote the conversation verbatim, Remus being Lupus, and Sirius being Canis. 

"Now what?" Asked Peter. Remus sat down, and began pondering.

"As much as we may not want to, I think, Peter, you will simply have to write the rest specifically for the liking of Professor Krupp." Said Remus.

"A normally spineless act, to do something different from yourself just to make others happy," said Sirius with a hint of disgust in his voice, "but in this case your grade is on the line, Peter, and can't afford anything else." James nodded.

"Now what are we to write that will please Krupp?"

"It would appear that Slytherin pleases Krupp." Said Remus. "And I would guess he is a fan of Herbology, since he is its teacher." James nodded. 

"I agree. Snakes and flowers, here we come." Said James unappealingly. And so, with quite a bit of help from Remus, and occasional input by Lily or James, Peter completed the "first" chapter. 

"Well, that's relief its done!" Said Peter, gladly, dropping the rolls of parchment onto the table.

"I actually liked it a bit!" Said James. Sirius concurred.

"Yes, I especially liked the character Lupus, he was quite a good one!" Remus chuckled.

"You're all too kind. But you know, I've often wondered what it would be like to be like Lupus; an Animagus, rather than a werewolf. To be able to transform on command! But instead, I live and die by the moon." He said grimly. They all looked outside. The sun was setting.

"Oh no!" He cried. "Tonight's the full moon! I've to get to the Shrieking Shack!" He yelled. 

"To the broomsticks!" Sirius yelled, and the Quidditchers ran from the commons area to their dormitory.

As Sirius grabbed his and James' brooms, James unlocked the window.

"Alohomora!" The windows swung open. 

"My broom!" Yelled Remus. "Where has it gone?"

"No time!" Yelled James, and pulled Remus on to his. 

They all flew at breakneck speed from the room to the grass, then along it towards the Whomping Willow.

"Quickly!" James yelled. "The moon will be here soon!" James and Sirius broke as hard as they could once the tree came into view, and dismounted quickly. Remus quickly grabbed the trusty twig, and poked the tree's knot quickly.

"Go, go, go, here it comes!" Yelled Sirius.

"Take this!" Said James, handing his broomstick to Remus.

"And Banish it back to me!" Remus nodded, and hopped on the stick. Sirius gave him shove into the hole, and Remus popped his head up for just one moment before he zoomed down the underground path.

"Thanks guys!" He said.

"No problem!" Said James quickly. "Anything for my good pal Moony!"

__


	7. Chapter Seven: Wormtail

A/N: WARNING: This book is a sequel! If you don't want to be in the dark, read my first "The Howl of the Moon", (id# 882673) which chronicles MWPP in their first year. This is about their second year. Also, I own nothing! Please R/R!

****

~~~

Chapter Seven:

Wormtail

That weekend was another Hogsmeade trip. James and Sirius planned something great to cheer Remus up, just back from his transformation.

"Is everything ready?" Asked Lily to James as he and Sirius came in from the cold, to the Three Broomsticks. James smiled and nodded.

"Yep. Now, all there is...is to wait for Lestrange and his cronies!" He and Sirius smiled deviously. Sirius looked out the window expectantly. Remus, Peter, and Mary returned with butterbeers for everyone.

James and Sirius quickly sipped theirs, and the creamy warmth rapidly spread through their veins.

"There they are!" Said Sirius. He quickly got up, and everyone else followed.

"What's going on?" Asked Remus. James chuckled.

"Sit back and enjoy, Remus." James said as they walked out onto the street. He and Sirius crept to the other side of the street, and suddenly disappeared under James's Invisibility Cloak. 

Remus watched as Lestrange, with his goons, Snape and Nott, walked up the street towards the Shrieking Shack. Suddenly, a glimmer of light caught their attention. It looked like gold. Lestrange looked around, then began to follow it. It stayed still long enough for him to reach out for it, but then slipped out of his reach. It led him, Snape, and Nott, all the way to the gate of the Shrieking Shack. 

The gates suddenly creaked open, and the gold piece came to rest on the walkway to the abandoned home. Remus and the others moved up to get a better view. 

Lestrange went pale. Nott and Snape backed up. Lestrange bit his lip then stepped forward. Snape and Nott followed, looking about as if a murderous ghost were about to fly out at kill them all. 

The gold piece continued to move along, and the three Slytherins continued to follow it dumbly. Finally, the galleon stopped, and Lestrange grasped it. He smiled and pocketed it. Then, they turned around to walk out from there quickly. But the gates slammed shut.

The Slytherins' eyes went wide and their faces pale. From the Shack, a wild screaming came. Lestrange, Nott, and Snape dashed to the gate and pulled wildly on its bars to no avail. They cried for help and tried in vein to climb over. The Gryffindors were double over in laughter.

Indeed, the Slytherins' faces went slowly from wild fright to deep rage when the howling and screaming from the shack began to turn into uncontrolled laughter. 

Realizing what had been done to him, Lestrange turned and pointed his wand in the direction of the laughing. 

"_Accio _Invisibility Cloak!" Lestrange yelled. The cloak flew off of James and Sirius's bodies, but they quickly grabbed it before it could fly to Lestrange. 

"Pudder!" Lestrange yelled.

"_Quietus_." Said James and Sirius, wands pointed at their throats. 

"I'll kill you!" Yelled Lestrange, and the three pointed their wands. The quickly turned around, however. They restrained themselves, not because of the presence of Remus, Lily, Peter, and Mary, but rather the looming, cold face of Professor Marus.

"Banned. From Hogsmeade, for the rest of year, until I think of another punishment." James stood in protest.

"What? You can't do that! For a little prank?" He said. Marus stood as well.

"Be seated Mister Potter. You will not return to Hogsmeade. If I find you or Black sneaking into there, I'll have you hanging by your toes in the dungeon." 

****

A blizzard hit after they got back from Hogsmeade, and the snow had fallen four feet thick at Hogwarts castle. As a result, all outdoor lessons were canceled Monday, which meant Care of Magical Creatures, and Herbology. For this, Peter was glad, because it gave him time to finish the Herbology homework everyone had been assigned, which he had not been able to accomplish because of his extra homework.

By Tuesday, however, the sun had taken a foot and a half of the snow off, and apparently, conditions were satisfactory for a Herbology class, in Krupp's mind. The Gryffindor's trudged out in their heavy winter garments, to make their way to the greenhouse. 

"Pettigrew!" Said Krupp the instant Peter came through the doorway. 

"Here it is, Professor!" He said quickly, and handed Krupp the parchment. Krupp gave it an initial scan, then dropped it on his desk.

"On to the Ice Venus." Krupp said. Halfway through class he demanded everyone successfully plant an Ice Venus in the snow drift outside. James's, Peter's and two Hufflepuffs' were doing the best by the end of class. After the bell rang, as Gryffindor and Hufflepuff sixth years began making their way to the greenhouses for their Herbology class, Krupp exited the greenhouse to examine the Ice Venuses. 

After a vicious grading period, Krupp finally let them go.

"Now, my sixth years." He said as Peter was walking away, catching up to the group. "We'll be heading into the Forest today..."

At first Peter didn't really think about what Krupp had said, but once he caught up, he realized it. 

"Hey, guys!" He said. "I just heard Professor Krupp talking. He said that they're going into the Forbidden Forest!" The group stopped dead.

"What did he say?" Asked Sirius.

"That they're going into the Forest! Isn't that out of bounds?" Lily shrugged.

"Well, he is a teacher."

"Let's get inside, I'm freezing!" Said Remus. They all agreed, and quickly made their way to the Entrance Hall. While they stamped off just inside the great doors, they heard many footsteps heading their way.

Peter put his head up and saw Lestrange and his cronies heading that way.

"Eh...James!" He whispered nudging James. They all now noticed the Slytherins; Lestrange, Nott, Snape, and three girls; the same three girls they had seen earlier.

"Pudder!" Lestrange spat as he neared them.

"What's this about you messing with my first years?" 

"Did the babies go back to daddy?" Sirius said in a child-like voice. 

"Up yours, Black!" Said Snape quickly. Sirius made towards Snape as if to punch him, but Nott quickly crossed behind Lestrange and stood in front of Snape. Sirius and Nott now stood as tall as they could, their chests out, as if ready to brawl.

"So what if I did?" James finally answered.

"So if _you did_, there's a price to pay, Pudder." James raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, is there?" He said. "What are you going to do?" James leaned in until his nose nearly touched Lestrange's.

"Curse your bloody head off, that's what." Lestrange near-whispered. James stared at Lestrange. 

_If only I could tell him how I took out that Metamagus_...James thought. 

"What is it, Potter? Remember our last duel all too well?" 

"Don't you?" James asked. "You seem to forget having been caught. You looked like a neutered dog after that!" Lestrange growled. He made a sudden movement for his wand. By reflex, everyone else drew theirs too (except poor Peter, who fumbled with his and dropped it to the floor).

However, a sudden noise from outside distracted them. It was like a howl, or a jet going by. There was a scream, then many screams.

Forgetting about Lestrange and the Slytherins, the Gryffindors dashed from their position towards the screams.

"_Ferio_!" Shouted Lestrange. But the Gryffindors had gotten out of the hall and the spell struck the door, knocking it open. 

"Damn!" Lestrange spat.

They all dashed towards the edge of the Forest, from where the sounds came. Sirius ran in front, because he could trudge through the snow faster than anyone else. Remus ran directly behind him, then James, then Mary, then Lily, then Peter bringing up the rear.

In the forest, much of the snow was still in the trees, so they could all run much faster now. Peter, however, was the slowest among them, and dropped behind. They could see, about thirty meters into the forest, many people running about, a lot of snow, and a fallen tree.

Peter was now lagging behind by quite a bit from the group, and matters were made worse when he tripped on a root. 

"Ow!" He yelled, but the others were too far ahead to hear him. He got up, panting, rubbing his elbow.

"Wait up!" He said hoarsely. Feeling quite thirsty, he scooped up a handful of snow. It was dirty however, and there were foot prints all around. A glint of light, however, caught his eye.

"A stream!" He said thoughtlessly. He got up and stumbled tiredly towards the light. When he got there, however, there was no stream, only some shiny material mostly buried in snow. He touched it with his fingers; it was like water, but not quite...

"Peter! Let's go, quick!" Came James's voice. Peter stumbled to his feet quickly and ran out of the forest.

"Why are we running?" He asked.

"Krupp told us to get out or get a detention!" Said James, and they slowed to a walk once they were far from the forest. 

"Evus!" Said Sirius at dinnertime, seeing Evus and his friends enter the Great Hall. Evus McQuent seated himself next to James on one side of the table, and Will and Max next to Remus on the other.

"Evus, what happened in the forest today?"

"Something very strange." He said, with a shudder. "Someone tried to kill Firmus Constance!" The group let out cries of shock.

"What?" Said James.

"It's the truth! Y'see, Professor Krupp took us all out inta' the Forest for an 'Erbology lesson. We were examining some forest plant-life when he suddenly realized he fergot somethin'. So he told us all to stand in a circle, with no gaps, around a tree, and look out into the forest, in case somethin' tried to snek up on us while 'ee was gone. An' then, after he lef', someone tried the Avadra Kedavra curse on Firmus!"

"How...who?" Sirius asked.

"We don't know." Said Will. "It came from deep in the forest. Fortunately, Evus here heard the spell cast, and knocked Firmus to the ground just before it hit him. It struck the tree, and killed it instantly!"

"Yeah," added Max, "the force of the spell knocked the tree down and it nearly crushed _me_! But lucky, Professor Krupp came back in time to knock the tree out of the way."

"Wow." Said Remus, and the young Gryffindors finished their dinner.

"Well we'll see you guys later." Said James as he took the last swig of juice from his goblet and joined the rest of his standing companions. The sixth-years said nothing, but waved as they left the Great Hall.

"Who do you think tried to kill Firmus Constance?" Asked Sirius as they entered the common room and sat down in their comfy chairs. 

"Professor Krupp!" Said Remus rashly. 

"Yeah, Professor Krupp!" Said Sirius quickly. "He hates Hufflepuff!" Lily scoffed.

"Professor Krupp is a teacher at Hogwarts! He would not do such a thing. As much as he hates Hufflepuff, he wouldn't drag the class out into the forest and try to kill one of them!"

"But think!" Said Sirius. "Professor Krupp _left_ and then someone tried to kill Firmus! Then he _mysteriously_ arrived back?"

"But if Professor Krupp was trying to kill someone, he would have let the tree fall on Max!" Said Lily.

"Well, obviously, he wasn't trying to kill Max!" Said Sirius. "If he really wanted to kill Firmus, then he wouldn't kill Max! Two kids die under his care? Then they would suspect something! Not to mention, saving Max might make it seem like he was a good guy!" Lily leaned back in her chair and frowned.

"I just don't think Professor Dumbeldore would have hired anyone that would _kill_ another student! Professor Krupp _can't_ have done it."

"Sure he could have!" Said Sirius.

"No, he really could not have." Said James. He had been sitting back in his chair, deep in thought for a while, and had not spoken. 

"The shot was intended for Firmus. Spells always go in a straight path. The tree had to have been knocked straight backwards. If Professor Krupp knocked the tree out of the way, he would have had to come from the other direction. And he couldn't have ran from one side of the tree to the opposite without them seeing; because they were all looking outwards."

"_And_," interjected Lily, "We saw that Max was standing on the side of the tree facing the greenhouse! So if Professor Krupp ran back to the greenhouse to get whatever he was getting, then he would have had to run from the greenhouse to the spot where the spell came from, and they would have seen him then, too!" James nodded.

"No, it can't've been Krupp." Said James. "But who would try to commit murder on Hogwarts grounds?" Lily stood up shaking her head.

"I don't know, but it doesn't concern us. Dumbledore will figure it out." Lily yawned. "I'm going to take a nap, if we're going to be up tonight."

James suddenly remembered that a meeting would be taking place that night.

"Ah yes! A meeting!" James said standing up. "I've got something special planned. Be here around 12:30!" Then James got up and left the commons room.

"As if we're anywhere else at 12:30." Said Sirius.

Thirty minutes after midnight, as James had told them, they all sat in the commons, staring tiredly into the dying fire.

"Alright." Said James, entering the room. "Head up to the dormitories to get your invitation." He then left.

"What is talking about?" Asked Sirius. 

"I don't know." Said Lily, but she got up and began towards her dormitory. The others did so as well, and were surprised to find what they did.

Sirius strode forward, and picked up a goblet that had been set on his chest, full to the brim of Lion's Fire, ignited and all. 

"These are our invitations?" Asked Peter, picking his up with great caution. Sirius chuckled.

"I suppose so. Let's get going, we don't want to be late!" And he, Remus, and Peter strode off down the stairs. They waited only a moment for Mary and Lily, then set off into the darkened hallways of Hogwarts.

The fire they carried nearly got them caught, but they quickly made their way to the secret passageways that took them nearest to the Society room, behind the portrait of Miss Vi. Even with the peculiar goblets of fire, Miss Vi asked no questions and told no one of their secret society. 

"Hello, there, young ones." She said as they approached. "James has told me that none can enter unless they drink the Lion's Fire fearlessly."

"What does he mean by that?" Asked Remus.

"He means," said Sirius after a moment of pondering, that we have to drink it while _knowing_ it will cause no harm to us! An interesting way of keeping intruders out." Sirius laughed, then quickly gulped the flames down.

"Gwobble-Quob!" Said Sirius and Miss Vi slid down to admit him. He leapt up and crawled in, passing through a magical barrier that admitted him.

"Easy enough!" Said Remus, and he drank his quickly as well, and entered behind Sirius. Mary and Lily took theirs simultaneously, and Mary then Lily went in.

Peter was left alone.

"Alright, Peter." He said to himself. "You can do this." He looked at the flames. They looked so _hot_..." He gulped. He put his hand over them, and it didn't feel hot at all.

"See." He said with a nervous laugh. "No harm." He gulped again, then sipped from the goblet. "No harm!" He said again, and now chugged the whole cup, and quickly entered.

"Let the fifty-sixth meeting of the Society of Lion's Fire commence, _Carmentalia, 2722 ab urbe candita._" Remus stood.

"The first order of business will be the progress of James, Peter, and Sirius to become Animagi." He sat back down.

"Actually, Remus, there's a little change of plans." Said James. "I was thinking about what I said earlier today, about not caring what happened with Firmus, and saying it didn't concern us. Well, I don't know what I was thinking, but we should really try to find out who did it!" Sirius laughed and smiled.

"Yes! That's what I thought!"

"Anybody have any ideas?" James asked. None one spoke for a moment, but then Peter stood up.

"Well...you see, er...when we all went to see what had happened after we heard the noises, then I got lost. I saw something shiny, and went over to find out what it was. I think it m-might have been an Invisibility Cloak!" James sat deep in thought.

"That would explain how Krupp got from A to B without being seen!" Said Sirius quickly.

"Peter...did it feel like this?" James reached behind him and grabbed his Invisibility Cloak that was draped over his chair. He held it forward and Peter took it in his hand, and rubbed it between his thumb and index finger.

He frowned.

"No." He said with a sigh. "It felt different." He returned to his seat and James frowned.

"Well, there's one thing we can do for sure." Said Sirius with a devilish grin. "Sneak into Krupp's office!"

Quickly the decision was made unanimously in favor, and the group set off into the night (disabling the magic wall James had set up). Krupp's office was a new one; since Friar Arus kept his. It was in the second basement, just one story above Professor Scuro's. 

"Hey wait a minute!" James suddenly whispered, stopping dead. The group was moving single file behind him, and they all bumped into each other.

"Do the teachers sleep in their offices?" Asked James to Lily who was behind him. 

"Don't be silly James. There's a teachers' dormitory." James nodded.

"Well I've never been into one." He said. They were now in the same corridor as the office, and James turned around to see everyone.

"Alright, me, Sirius, and Peter, under the Invisibility Cloak!" Said James, waving an arm for them to come. Peter was selected in case the silvery item that he had felt was in Krupp's office. 

"The rest of you, stay on the lookout!" Lily, Mary, and Remus nodded, and hid themselves among statues. 

James, Sirius, and Peter now crept up to the door to Krupp's office. 

"Alohomora!" Whispered James. He heard the soft _ca-chink_ of the door unlocking. He looked around, and slowly he put his hand out from the Invisibility Cloak. The knob turned. He pushed it in, but the door only opened part of the way.

"It's got some kind of magical lock on it!" Said James to Sirius and Peter. Again James looked around, seeing no one, and stuck his arm in up to the shoulder, where he could reach no more.

"I can't get in. It's too slim!" 

"How shall we get in then?" Asked Sirius.

"I think we have to give up." Said Peter quickly.

"No, no. We can find a wa-yes, that's it!" Said James suddenly.

"What?" Whispered Sirius.

"Peter can go through!" Sirius squinted at James. 

"I'm skinnier than Peter, no offense."

"None taken." Said Peter quickly, hoping Sirius might go instead of him.

"But Peter is a Mûsmagus!"

"Not yet!" Said Peter.

"But we've gotten the first few Transfigures down pat!" Exclaimed James. "By performing those you'll be able to get through." Peter looked at James worriedly. 

Reluctantly, Peter moved forward, remaining under the cloak. James and Sirius moved down so he could be in front of the door gap. Peter removed his shoes.

"_Existo mens mûs!_ _Existo amplitudo mûs!_" Before their eyes Peter seemed to change; his features became mouse like. In a way he looked no different, but his eyes became beadier, his nose smaller. He suddenly lurched forward, and though he was much bigger than the door gap, he seemed to slide through, like he were much smaller than he really was.

With a soft thud Peter landed on Krupp's office floor.

"I'm in!" He whispered through the gap."

"Can you open it from the inside?" James asked. Peter stood up and pushed against the door. He knelt back down.

"No! It's definitely magical, I can't get it!" 

"Alright." Whispered James. "Look around!" Peter nodded and shakily got up. 

"_L-l-lumos!_" He muttered, and light shot from his wand, dimly illuminating the half of the room towards which it was pointed. It was small. There was a desk facing the door, which was covered in phials of all sizes full of odd liquids and floating objects. On the sides of office against each wall was a thick wooden table. Both were covered in dusty black and dark colored books. Suspended in midair was a single, extinguished, blood red candle, burned halfway down.

"Do you see anything?" Whispered James through the door. Peter shook his head stupidly. He crept around to the other side of the desk. 

There was a gold rimmed chair, with blood red cushions, on wheels over which gold claws extended. There were three drawers on either side and a long flat one in the middle. The top right drawer had a lock on it. Peter slowly opened the bottom left one. It was full of books. The title of the top one was in a foreign language. Peter closed the drawer.

The next one up had grade books and chalk in it; Peter thought for a moment of checking his Herbology grade in it, but remembered his task and closed the drawer again. The top left drawer was empty, but its bottom and sides were lined with a creeping, slithering plant that looked like a combination of ivy and snakes. Gulping, Peter closed the drawer with his shaking wand.

Next was the flat center drawer. It was filled with quills, inkbottles, and lots of blank parchment. Peter closed this and looked at the top right drawer. The lock on it was ominous. He gulped and moved on to the middle right drawer. Here he found a comb, a spare cloak, a small mirror, a few flasks and some dark green bread-like substance that Peter dared not touch.

The bottom drawer held more books. Now, he went back to the top right drawer. He rose his wand shakily. 

"_Alo-alo-hom-"_ Halfway through sputtering the spell, Peter heard a sudden hissing-whisper. He saw a wand poke through the door gap. It lit up and it was waved about frantically. Then it was extinguished and withdrawn. After a few moments, the door was slowly and quietly closed. Peter tip-toed his way to the door and put his hand on the doorknob. He thought about opening it, but then he heard a sound, far off and quiet. He moved back from the door. He moved closer again, and put his ear to the door. Now the sound was close and clear.

__

Tff. Tp. Clunk. Tff tp. Clunk. Peter went ghost white. Outside, Sirius and James shrunk themselves against the wall, pulling the cloak against themselves tightly. Professor Krupp was slowly walking towards his office.

Peter looked around the office, searching for a place to hide. There was a red chest underneath the table on his left, and a little space between it and the wall. Peter shoved himself between them, the spells he had cast still taking effect. He squirmed about until his head was facing the way he had entered, looking out at the office.

Krupp came up to the door and sunk the key into the hole. Peter heard a rattle and a clank; the door was unlocked, whereas Krupp had left it locked. He opened the door and let it hit the magical lock. Krupp looked down to his right. James and Sirius shivered and pulled close to each other silently. He was staring right at them. Then he looked back up to the door and said, at nearly a whisper,

"Devil's Snare." With a slight buzzing sound, the door swung open. Krupp entered, his staff clanking loudly against the stone floor.

"Come on!" James said, though he barely said it. He and Sirius, still holding each others' arms, stood up. They both quickly removed their shoes, and holding them, tip-toed after Krupp into the office. They crept silently until they were standing in front of the desk at which he now sat. He fumbled with something in his drawer, then got up, leaning heavily on his staff. He was grumbling about something. Then he walked to his right, around the desk. James and Sirius quickly backed away, fearing they were now trapped in the office. 

Sirius looked back at and saw something peeking out from behind the chest. Instantly he understood it was Peter. He tugged on James's shoulder and pointed. James realized who it was as well, and they crouched down and moved under the table. Sirius lifted up the back of the Invisibility Cloak and beckoned Peter to crawl in, making sure he didn't leave the shroud of the cloak.

He moved closely to the chest and lifted up the cloak enough for Peter to get under it. But Krupp was moving quickly towards the chest and Peter shrunk back behind it. Fearing he might bump into them, James and Sirius shrunk back against the wall on the opposite side of the table. 

Krupp knelt down and bent over the chest. His cloak dropped over it and James and Sirius could not see what he was doing, except that he put his staff in and got another one out. Barely, Peter, James, and Sirius spotted something silvery.

Krupp quickly closed the chest and turned around

facing the door. Only the top of the staff could be seen from behind his body. 

Fearing he would come back to the chest, James and Sirius crept back to where Peter hid. Sirius again held out the cloak against the chest, and Peter crawled back out from behind the chest, slinking in between James and Sirius. Suddenly, Krupp sneaked the staff into his tall cloak and walked briskly, limping, to his desk, and he sat down, the staff protruding from his cloak. He gripped and leaned slightly on it and quickly got out a quill and parchment, and began writing on it. 

James waved his arm towards the door, and the others nodded. They got up silently and moved to the open door. They were about to exit when someone walking by stopped in front of the door. 

"Professor Krupp!" Said the voice. They knew it instantly, the caretaker, Argus Filch. "What are you doing these hours?" He asked curiously. He was staring straight through them at Krupp. Sirius moved to go left, James moved to go right, Peter stood frozen with fright. The cloak tugged tight, making the slightest sound. 

"Couldn't sleep!" Said Krupp with a queer laugh. He didn't notice the sound, though Filch was looking oddly around the room. After a quick, silent argument, the group moved back towards the chest under the table. Filch put his hand out and waved it in the air, feeling for something

"Is there a problem, Argus?" Krupp asked, nervously. Filch shook his head.

"No...no, nothing." He stepped back from the room. 

"Have a nice night, Professor Krupp." Krupp smiled and waved a bit, and Filch walked away. Krupp's smile turned to a frown and he got up. The boys raced to the door and got outside of it before Krupp closed it, with a bitter face.

They wasted no time in walking quickly from the office, and to the statues behind which Lily, Mary, and Remus hid. They collapsed against the wall and exhaled greatly, removing the cloak.

"Are you alright?" Lily whispered to Peter. He was white, but he nodded. Slowly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out Mary's good luck totem pole, carved from chalk. It was unbroken.

"It's a good thing you had that with you!" Said Mary, leaning over Lily to tell Peter it. He nodded. As he rubbed the rattail at the totem pole's top, Sirius said,

"Peter could crawl through small spots like a worm!" James looked at the tail on the small carving.

"Yes, ole' Wormtail's worth a million!"


	8. Chapter Eight: A Break for Quidditch

****

Chapter Eight:

A Break for Quidditch

Remus stared intently into his porridge.

"Is that all you're going to eat, Remus?" Asked Sirius as he stuffed a forkful of bacon into his mouth.

"Yeah." He said blankly. 

"Well, if that's all you're going to eat, then eat it." Said Lily. "You'll be dizzy out there if don't." Remus nodded and slurped a spoonful. 

"I guess I'm just nervous about today's match." He said. James put a hand on his shoulder. 

"Don't you worry Remus. You'll do fine. We all will."

"And I won't let any more bludgers hit you Remus." Sirius said, slightly downcast. 

Today, Gryffindor was playing Ravenclaw, as they had three weeks ago, in their last game. It was over quite quickly, when in the heat of an early Seek, Remus was struck by a bludger and Sean Davies was able to get the Snitch easily.

It was Friday, but Dumbledore declared it a holiday, since the Quidditch match that afternoon was quite important, and apparently the school as a whole was getting fairly high marks. 

It was finally starting to get warm when the day of the game arrived, and Gryffindor was quite happy.

"Ravenclaw played like polar bears!" Said Marcus O'Reilly. 

"My fingers were bloody numb!" Said Sirius. "And that was only after five minutes!" 

"But it's much warmer today." Said Evus as they finished robing. James nodded.

"Let's go out there and stomp 'em!" He said, raising his fist, and the rest of the team cheered. James tightened his gloves, gripped his Thunderbolt, and headed to the waiting area to stand with the rest of the team.

"I hope you all know what this game means." Said Evus as they stood facing the wooden door that led to the Quidditch pitch. James gulped.

"We sure do." Said Marcus. "And we all better play our hearts out or we may as well sit out the next game." Everyone nodded and murmured in agreement. Suddenly the doors swung wide open. The players trotted out a short distance and mounted their brooms, taking to the sky. 

"We've got a spectacular match coming today!" Said the announcer. "This is Gryffindor's last chance. They must win this game, and by more than fifty points, if they are to have a chance. Ravenclaw needs any victory for a chance to win the Quidditch Tournament!"

Remus could feel the pressure of the crowd upon him. If they won, they might still have a chance for the Quidditch Tournament. And Hufflepuff would be even with Ravenclaw. But if Ravenclaw won...it would be over for Gryffindor.

The players took their positions and readied themselves for the whistle. Marus took to the air and held up the Quaffle.

"Let's have a good game!" And with that he blew a shrill blast in his whistle and tossed the ball up. As soon as the match was begun, the center chaser for Ravenclaw shot forward and grabbed the Quaffle. James had made a dive for it, but was beaten. Max Dorian and Evus McQuent tried backing up rapidly to stop the chaser, but he bolted through the hole left by James and towards Will Johnson. 

The chaser faked left and right and right again and left again, but Will remained steady. The chaser threw the ball with all his might to the left of Will, but he was able to stop it. Will quickly tossed it forward to James, who quickly passed it off to Max, who took it up-pitch. 

"Max! Max!" Yelled Evus, waving his hand ferociously, as two Ravenclaw seekers approached Max. Max lofted the ball towards Evus, who might have caught it, if not for a bludger, barely deflected by Marcus O'Reilly, that struck his dangling ankles, flipping Evus around his broomstick rapidly. Instead, the Quaffle soared untouched for what seemed like a lifetime, when finally, James caught it, just before another Ravenclaw. He bolted down pitch quickly, speeding past others who had been going for the floating ball. 

He zoomed in along the edge of the field, almost hitting every grandstand along the way. He rounded the pitch and came in at the keeper sideways, so that the hoops merely looked like sticks. Knowing he would not be able to make a shot from there, he simply tucked the ball under his arm and shot towards the hoops. The keeper did not exactly know what to do; he hovered in front of the hoop nearest to James.

Chang was caught unawares when James zoomed over the first hoop, and easily slammed the Quaffle through the middle hoop.

"And Gryffindor is up, 10 to none!" Roared the announcer. James grinned broadly as he flew back towards his own goal. Looks like a good beginning, he thought.

One hour into the game, the score was even, seventy to seventy. It was a very exciting match, and the crowd was left on edges of their seats, wondering if Gryffindor would survive, or if Ravenclaw would all but secure the championship. 

Then Ravenclaw scored. They scored again quickly. It was ninety to seventy. Gryffindor did not get panicked, however, as twenty points would not change anything, since the Snitch capture was worth 150. Their defense tightened up, so it also seemed Ravenclaw would not be putting the game out of reach for Remus. Now, it was the Seekers' game.

The Seek was a mental chess game between Remus and Sean Davies. Each patrolled, much slower than their brooms could fly, around the pitch, always on the other side of the field of his opponent. Each scanned the skies, constantly checking back to see if his rival had found it. They faked every few minutes, sometimes drawing the attention of the opponent, sometimes the opponent quickly knew it was a feign. 

Not long after Gryffindor scored it's eightieth point, both sighted the elusive Golden Snitch. It came halfway through a feigned Snitch-find by Sean Davies. Remus bought it, and pulled even to Davies in the rapid descent. Much to Davies's surprise, however, the Snitch pulled right in front of both of them. As they neared the ground, it shot back up, crossing over the pitch and upward. 

The two flew at the limits of their brooms, hurtling through the air at even speed with the glittery ball, it whizzing just beyond the reach of their extended fingertips. From above the two, the picture was symmetrical. Remus on the right, Davies on the left. Remus's left hand and Davies's right were strained forward in hope of snagging the snitch, with their other hands gripping their brooms. The tip of each Thunderbolt was under their stomachs, with the rest of their bodies leaned out over the air. They compensated for the weight by pushing the back of the broom down with their feet, and incredibly tiring exercise.

The game below continued, but everything that mattered was the Seek. The score was even, so there were no worries of the outcome of capturing the Snitch. The bludgers were expertly tied up, volleyed back and forth by the desperately powerful beaters. And there was a huge expanse of empty sky between them and Snitch's limits, making for a match between two wills, with their equal brooms equally being pushed to the limits. It came down a breeze.

In that moment, when the crowd went silent, and Remus Lupin and Sean Davies hurtled through the air, seemingly matching each other in every way so that one might think their hearts beat in unison, a flutter of fate blew through the sky, and a wing of the Snitch missed a tiny beat, and the golden ball was tipped to one side. And the two competitors, seeing the opportunity, lurched forward in one final, desperate grab, one seeing his only chance, the other trying against hope to stop what he couldn't possibly control. And in that moment, Gryffindor lost.

Remus was inconsolable. No matter how much the others told him how little it was his fault and how it came down to luck and a matter of fate, he was sure that he was entirely guilty of Gryffindor's failure. 

"I don't think we can do anything for him." Said James to Sirius in the Gryffindor changing room. Remus was lying on a bench in the fetal position, gripping his broom, and staring out blankly. 

"I'll wait for him." Said Will, and sat down on the bench opposite him and pulled out some homework. After a little while, James and Sirius then left. 

"So, do you think Ravenclaw will beat Hufflepuff?" James shrugged. 

"Hufflepuff beat the pants off Slytherin. I think we can expect Ravenclaw to do the same." Sirius nodded.

"Yeah, I reckon you're right." Said Sirius. "I guess it depends on how well we do against Hufflepuff." James nodded. 

"Well, let's forget about Quidditch for a while now. I don't want to think about the Hufflepuff game until the time for it comes." Said James. Sirius nodded.

"I'm going to fly around a bit." Said Sirius. James nodded. 

"Mind if I join you?" He asked. 

"Alright." So with the sun setting, the two soared into the air, feeling the cool breeze on their faces, relaxing after the crushing defeat. The two sailed around the castle for some time, when they were brought out of their near-sleep state. 

"Ohhh..." grumbled James, "what is that?" He and Sirius turned to the edge of the Forbidden Forest. They immediately recognized the limping figure.

"Krupp." James said. "I know he's up to something."

"Yeah. I'm _sure_ that was an Invisibility Cloak that we saw in Krupp's office. It all makes sense." James nodded. 

"Let's get a closer look." He said. They hovered silently down to the treetops, after Krupp entered the forest. The leaves on the trees were large, and thick, and they could not see Krupp (nor could he them, thankfully).

"What do you reckon he's doing?" James whispered to Sirius. Sirius shrugged. 

"I haven't a clue." He whispered back. They heard his familiar footsteps, walking deeper into the forest. They followed above, silently. Sirius suddenly turned to James.

"James, I know that the forest is very dangerous," he began. James nodded. "But...is _above_ the forest dangerous?" James gulped. He looked out over the forest. In the dusk light, he couldn't see anything particularly dangerous. 

"I don't think anything that's dangerous in the forest can fly." James said. 

"Okay." Said Sirius.

"Oy! James and Sirius!" James and Sirius suddenly turned their heads. It was Remus.

"What are you doing ove-" He began, but stopped when he saw them waving their arms wildly. Their cover blown, James and Sirius immediately flew up and out from over the Forest to where Remus was.

"Remus! We were spying on Krupp over there!" Sirius yelled. Remus frowned. He took a step back and put his head down.

__

Smooth move, thought Sirius, _he's already in the dumps! Agh, you blockhead!_

"It doesn't matter." Said James quickly, putting a hand on Remus's shoulder. "I'm sure he's up to nothing. Lily's right, Dumbledore would know." Remus put his head up and smiled a bit.

"How about a fly around the castle? Calmed me and Sirius down quite a bit." Remus nodded. 

"Sure. Oh, I forgot my broom in the changing room." James put up a hand.

"Take mine. I'll grab yours and catch up." Said James. He dashed off toward the pitch as Sirius and Remus took off. Once he got there, he quickly found Remus's broom and began to head back. 

"Who's that?" He said to himself. He squinted and looked across the grass where he saw a few people. In a few moments, he recognized Lily, Mary, and Peter. They seemed to be walking slowly.

"What...the...Lestrange!" Lestrange and three of his cronies had their wands pointed at them. James quickly turned around, and ran to the dressing room. He grabbed three school-sticks, and flew off towards them.

Not exactly having a plan, he hurtled toward Lestrange. He quickly decided to knock the wands away with one swift _expelliarmus_. He prepared to toss the broomsticks to his friends.

"_Expelliarmus!_" He roared just as the four noticed him; it was Lestrange, Nott, as well as the first-years, Malfoy and Avery. The four wands were expertly lifted from their hands, and flew behind where they stood. 

"Here!" He yelled, tossing the brooms to Mary and Lily. He quickly remembered Peter's ineptitude, and tossed his own Thunderbolt to him, thinking he was bad enough without the old, school brooms. The three quickly shot into the air, as the Slytherins tried to recover their wands. James, who had given his broom to Peter, was having trouble mounting the school-broom.

"After them!" Lestrange yelled, and the Slytherins took to the sky after Mary, Lily, and James. 

Lestrange quickly found his wand. James drew his own.

"_Ferio!"_ They both yelled. James's broom was knocked out from beneath him, and he fell forward. His wand was stuck into the ground. Lestrange was hit in the stomach, and again his wand flew from his hand, falling at James's feet.

Without noticing Lestrange's wand, James knelt to the ground and tried to recover his wand. Before he could even touch it, however, he heard Lestrange charging. He looked up. Lestrange had leapt into the air, his broomstick serving as both a joust and his flight tool.

James quickly lifted up his own broom, and holding it at the ends, held his ground. Lestrange's momentum carried him over James, as James's body went back like a limbo game. James fell onto the ground, and he noticed Lestrange's wand. Before he could grab his own, however, Lestrange was flying back at him. Knowing he had to stop Lestrange from getting his wand back, he stood firm again, and perried Lestrange to the side. Before Lestrange could attack again, James went on the offensive.

Holding it firmly at the base with one hand and holding the other out cautiously, James swung at Lestrange. Lestrange blocked by swinging the broomstick to point at the ground. Lestrange countered quickly by swinging it back at James's legs, but James blocked as well.

Now trying to out-force Lestrange, James gripped the broom by both ends again, and thrust the stick at Lestrange. Lestrange did the same, gripping the broom at each end, and blocked vertically. The two checked wildly at each other, pushing his opponent back and forth. James ended the stalemate by upper-cutting with the broom end of the stick. Lestrange's stick was knocked away, and the scraggly ends of the old broom scratched his face.

"Aagh!" He yelled. Before James could react, however, Lestrange leapt and, knocking James over, gripped James's broom. Trying to keep it out of his hands, James wrenched the broom upward. Lestrange maintained his grip, however, and the broom lurched into the air. The two gripped tightly, hanging as the broom plodded slowly into the air. They jockeyed viciously for possession of the stick, trying to take control and knock the other off. As they rose steadily higher, however, each became more desperate to hang on, and more fearful of the consequences of defeating his opponent. 

In the end, however, Lestrange was victorious in his utter lack of mercy and common decency. He pulled himself up on the broom and kicked James hard in the chest with both feet. James momentarily released the broom completely, but quickly, grabbed back on to the tail end as Lestrange mounted it properly. 

Lestrange kicked and jabbed at James, but could not properly knock him off while James kept moving about, shaking the broom and worsening Lestrange's accuracy. The pain in his chest was becoming too much. His thoughts raced back to the Quidditch match, when the Bludger struck him. 

There would be no teachers to save him now. He resisted the pain. He remembered the incantation, _dolor afflictio_. But he had no wand...he concentrated hard. He remembered...Charms class. The wand was not the key. He was the key.

__

Dolor afflictio! He thought. _Dolor afflictio!_ He thought again. He concentrated with all his might. Just as he felt he could hold on no longer, and that Lestrange might knock him off for good, the pain dissipated. He quickly grabbed the broom firmly with both hands and pulled himself up.

"Get off, Pudder!" Lestrange yelled. Now, however, they swooped over the top of one of the tall towers of the castle. James reached forward and gripped the front of the broom. Shifting his weight, he brought the broom down on the flat roof. They crashed hard, and the broomstick bounced forward. James being under the crash, smashed into the roof. Lestrange, however, rolled forward after the collision. 

James might have been in as much, or even more pain than Lestrange then if it weren't for the pain reducer he had magicked upon himself. He quickly grabbed the broom.

"No Potter!" Lestrange yelled, doubled over and attempting to dash towards him. James, however, quickly grabbed the broom again, and leapt off the side of the tower, imprisoning Lestrange, and keeping him out of James's hair. As James slowed his descent, nearing the ground, he heard a yell.

"Sirius!"


	9. Chapter Nine: Padfoot

****

Chapter Nine:

Padfoot

Sirius and Remus continued to fly high above the castle. As James predicted, Remus was relaxed by the flight. They flew high and slowly over the top of the castle, then swooped down near the Forbidden Forest again. Once near the edge, they turned and flew along it, high above to stay out of view.

"What say we retire after a few more minutes?" Asked Remus. Sirius nodded. Just then, however, something caught their attention.

"Remus! Sirius, help!" They turned to see Lily, Mary and Peter flying fast at them.

"Nott and the others are on our tail!" Mary screamed. It was true. Remus and Sirius stopped dead and looked at the following trio. They had drawn their wands. 

"Fly!" Yelled Sirius. Mary, Lily, and Peter roared over them, and Sirius and Remus accelerated to catch up.

"Why don't we take them?" Asked Remus.

"Do you know any dark spells?" Responded Sirius. Remus nodded. Sirius looked over to see Peter. He was not lagging behind, rather flying nearly out of control on a broomstick more powerful than he could handle. Sirius quickly swerved over to Peter, and reached out.

"Grab my hand, Peter!" Sirius yelled. Peter reached out. His broom was flying up and down rapidly, and was beginning to slow down.

"Come on Peter!" He yelled again. Nott, Avery, and Malfoy were approaching. Soon they would be close enough to curse accurately. Sirius swerved radically again, and nearly colliding with Peter, gripped his hand tightly. Now, however, Lily and Mary, riding inferior broomsticks, began to lag behind.

"Under the tree line!" Yelled Sirius, and the grouped dove beneath the leaves. Remus landed first, swiftly dismounting, tossing his broom to his left and drawing his wand with the right. Next, Sirius brought Peter and himself down safely, then Lily and Mary. 

The five quickly ran to the nearest tree, crouching around it, holding their brooms and wands out. They were silent as the three Slytherins passed over. They began to descend into the forest.

"Wands at the ready!" Whispered Sirius. Immediately, Sirius and Lily yelled, 

"_Ferio_!", both striking Nott and knocking him off his broom.

"_Ferio_!" Came Remus next, knocking Malfoy away.

"_Expelliarmus_!" Said Mary, parting Avery from broom and wand. They began to get up quickly.

"Come on!" Yelled Sirius. "Let's go!" Remus grabbed him by the sleeve.

"Why? We can take them!" Sirius shook his head.   
"Not them!" He said. "Krupp!" Beyond Avery, Nott, and Malfoy, came Krupp, leaning heavily on his staff.

The five quickly dove, their leap heightened by the flying power of their broomsticks. They landed behind a large-rooted tree, peeking only their heads above the root.

"Avery! Malfoy! Nott! What are you doing here?" He had an older student with him.

"But sir...the Gry-"

"No excuses! This area is off limits! GO!" He pointed a stern finger towards the castle, and the Slytherins reluctantly flew off. 

"I've never seen Krupp get so mad at Slytherins!" Whispered Lily.

"That's Firmus Constance!" Whispered Sirius. "The same one that was almost killed! That Krupp almost killed!"

"He's going to try again!" Said Remus.

"We've got to stop him!" Said Mary.

"What is Firmus doing out here? With Krupp?" Asked Lily.

"I heard Evus talking about it." Said Remus. "That Krupp made him come and take one-on-one classes because he's not doing well. Evus seems to think that there are others doing much worse than Firmus; in fact he thinks Firmus is one of the best. It doesn't make sense."

"It makes perfect sense." Said Sirius. They nodded. "Come on." He said.

They crept along closer to where the two stood.

"Alright, Constance, I have planted the herbs necessary to create the Beatiserum. I'll leave preparation to your Potions class. Go, search!" Firmus nodded and ran off. Krupp smiled.

"You four stay here." Said Sirius. "Watch Krupp. I'll go after Firmus." 

"Why just you?" Asked Remus.

"Any more and Krupp'll see. Stay here!" He warned and dashed off, leaving his broom. 

Sirius followed Firmus for some time, being sure to keep out of Krupp's line of vision. Firmus ran along fairly quickly, navigating the forest quite well. Sirius began to lag behind. Just as he thought he might lose him, Firmus stopped. He was examining a plant. Sirius caught up, and hid behind a tree. He looked back; Krupp could not see them anymore. Sirius thought of accosting Firmus, but shrank back. He thought perhaps Krupp had some magical eye on him.

Firmus knelt down by the plant. He pulled out his wand and began to examine the leaves. Occasionally he would mutter something, and a small glimmer would come from his wand, and the plant would move about in some way. After a few minutes of this, Firmus stood up and pointed his wand. The plant was brought out of the ground, and he stuffed it into a small sack. He ran on.

Sirius followed yet again, but soon he lagged behind even further. By the time he found Firmus again, he was halfway through the process of checking out the plant. Sirius only had a moment to breath when Firmus pulled it up and put it in his sack. He started off again.

"Firmus!" Sirius half-yelled, half-whispered. Firmus turned at the sound.

"Firmus Constance!" Firmus couldn't make out the figure standing before him.

"_Lumos_!" Said Firmus. Sirius was illuminated brightly.

"Sirius Black? The Gryffindor beater? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Firmus, listen, you've got to-"

"It doesn't matter." Said Firmus quickly. "You've got to help me." Sirius stopped. 

"What? Help you?"

"Yes. Krupp gave me an impossible assignment. He said I've got to collect all the plants necessary to brew the Beatiserum! And I've got a time limit. I'm only a fifth year, this is advanced Herbology stuff!" Sirius simply looked at him.

"Come on! Will you help me? I've got..." He rose his wand and muttered something. A circle appeared in front of him.

"I've only got thirty minutes to go!" Apparently, it was a clock. "Will you help me? Here, I can give you the samples of the plants I need." Sirius accepted, stepping forward to take the samples.

"Thanks a lot, Sirius." Said Firmus, and he dashed off. Sirius looked at the samples. He recognized the two that Firmus had already gotten. He looked at the others. 

Knowing time was slim, he dashed off in the direction opposite of that in which Firmus ran. He ran as fast he could, looking at all the growth. He kept looking back at all his plants, and stopping because he couldn't tell whether he had found a match or not. After five minutes he had come up with nothing.

"Agh! Firmus is going to be in trouble. I've got to..." He concentrated hard. What could he do to find the herbs? What skills did he have? What spell could he use?

He thought over everything he learned...locating spells...perhaps the Summoning Charm? No, he had to know where the object was to do that! He thought over everything...his Animagus spells. No, those couldn't help him now, they were just partial Transfigures, nothing without knowing them all. Or could they? Peter used his partial Transfigures to help...yes, yes, they would definitely help!

"_Existo mens immanotruculentus! Existo nasus immanotruculentus_!" Suddenly he lurched over. His face became a little elongated, his jaw protruding. His skin became darker, his body bigger. He got down on all fours. He sniffed one of the herbs. Immediately, it was like he could smell the whole forest. Scents came at him, battering his senses with smells of all kind. Then, he smelled it, something very similar to one of the herbs. He shot off at it.

In his dog-like state, he navigated the forest much better. He moved faster, and ripped across the root covered ground. It was a matter of seconds before he came to the plant, collected it, and moved on to the next.

After three more herbs collected, there were only a few to go. It was when he found his fifth that he finally ran into one of the reputed dangers of the Forbidden Forest. As he ran along, scanning the forest carefully, a huge beast popped out from behind a tree.

It roared at Sirius and approached him.

"A hippogriff!" He said. He rose his wand. "_Ferio_!" He said, and the hippogriff was knocked back. But it charged again. 

"_Ablego_!" He yelled. The hippogriff stopped dead where it stood, then suddenly flew backwards. It landed in a crumpled heap, and ran off. 

"Sirius!" Sirius turned about. He couldn't have much time left. "Sirius!" Repeated the sound. It was Firmus. Sirius saw him, a ways away. He quickly bounded towards him, dashing as fast as he could. Firmus was looking in the opposite direction, searching for Sirius. Sirius finally made it to the clearing where Firmus was, but forgot, he was still in his Grim-like state. Just as Firmus turned around, he turned himself back to plain old Sirius.

"What was that?" Firmus asked wildly. He had seen. 

"I...er..." Firmus pointed at him. 

"You're a bloody werewolf!" Sirius quickly put up his hands.

"No, no, I'm not! I swear!" Firmus gritted his teeth and raised his wand.

"Stay away! You won't bite me!" He cried. Sirius shook his head.

"It's not even a full moon! I'm not a werewolf!" Firmus's cold face softened a bit. He lowered his wand slightly.

"Well...then...what was that? You were...so different." Sirius gulped.

"Listen, I...I...I'm trying to become an Animagus!" Firmus looked at Sirius dumbly.

"A...an Animagus?" Firmus asked, cocking his head to one side.

"Yes...I...er, it's an incredible challenge but I think I could do it. I...just...er..."

"That's amazing. Isn't that against the law?" Asked Firmus.

"Er..." Sirius put his head down. He couldn't tell him about Remus. "Yeah...sort of. I...."

"Don't worry." Said Firmus. "Your secret's safe with me." Sirius looked up and smiled. Firmus's eyes suddenly widened. 

"We're going to be out of time! Did you find any?" Firmus asked. Sirius nodded and handed him what he collected.

"These are all the ones I didn't find! These are the rest! Thanks a lot, Sirius! I've got to get back to Krupp before time runs out!" Firmus commanded his wand to point him north, and he dashed off towards Krupp. Sirius followed still.

They ran for a while when Firmus came to a stop. Sirius looked around. He saw the place where they had hidden. The others weren't there. Sirius looked around wildly. 

"Professor Krupp?" Came Firmus's voice. "Professor! I've got the herbs!" He yelled. Sirius walked up to him.

"Sirius! Have you seen Krupp?" Sirius shook his head.

"Have you seen my friends?" Sirius asked. Firmus's eyes rounded and he shook his head. 

"Do you know the way back?" Firmus asked. Sirius gulped and looked at where his friends had been. It was very dark. He couldn't tell if his broomstick was there or not.

"_Lumos_." He said, lighting his wand as Firmus had.

_Thump. Thump. Boom. Thump. Thump. Boom._

"What's that?" Asked Firmus. Sirius and he stood back to back. Their wands extended. Suddenly, a huge figure leapt out at Sirius.

"Watch out!" He yelled and dove away. Firmus turned, but could not escape. Instead he simply shouted the first spell that came to mind.

"_Ferio_!" The figure was knocked back. It was a very simple hitting spell, but at Firmus's level, he could pull it off as effectively as anyone could. Sirius shone his light on the shape. 

It was a dragon. Sirius screamed. Firmus regained his wits. 

"_Confundo_!" He yelled. The dragon was knocked back and seemed dazed. It seemed to be a young dragon, it was only the size of Firmus. It was white with small brown markings about its body. In a moment, however, it regained its wits, and opened its mouth. Along with a ferocious roar, the dragon belched blue flames at Firmus.

"_Circumvalo_!" He stuttered, and a solid white barrier appeared to block the flames. Sirius ran up to Firmus to help him.

"Keep the light on him!" Yelled Firmus. "In his eyes!" Sirius nodded. He flashed it around at the dragon's face. Wanting to do more, he began moving towards the spot his broom lay, keeping the light on the dragon.

He came to the ridge, behind which they had hid. Firmus was having a hard time defending against the beast. They moved about, and now the stood so that Sirius was directly behind Firmus, the dragon was facing both of them.

It launched another fireball at Firmus. He blocked, but it knocked him down. Sirius had to act now.

"_Solarus_!" He yelled. The light on his wand, already activated, blazed with the might of the sun for a few moments. The entire forest was illuminated, and the dragon recoiled, putting his hands over his eyes. As the light quickly faded, Sirius leapt down and grabbed his broom. As it trickled to a light dimmer than it was in the first place, Firmus returned to his feet. 

"_Ablego_!" He yelled, and the dragon was lifted up and tossed backwards. It landed hard. Firmus didn't stop there.

"_Circumpulso_!" He shouted, and a vibrant green pulse of magic shot from his wand, smashing into the dragon.

"_Battuo_!" he yelled again, knocking the dragon into a huge tree. The dragon had had enough of that, however, and leapt to his feet. He immediately unleashed three fireballs, side by side, at Firmus. He tried to run away, but tripped on a large root.

"Firmus!" Sirius yelled. He mounted his broom quickly and flew to Firmus. He grabbed his hand and flew barely out of the way. Sirius's strength gave way, however, and Firmus fell back to the ground.

"_Circumvalo_!" Firmus yelled, as another fiery blast came at him. 

"_Wallo_!" Yelled Sirius. The magical shield Firmus had produced was enlarged, and the fireball was absorbed. Firmus remained standing.

"_Expecto Demori!_" Firmus shouted, blasting the fire back. It struck the dragon, but seemingly had no effect. It leapt at them. Sirius again swooped down to Firmus. He grabbed him by the arm and lifted him up, flying away from the dragon. 

Firmus was heavy for a Sirius, however, and he began to lose Firmus again. Taking his hands off the broom, he took out his wand and pointed it at himself.

"_Existo mens immanotruculentus! Existo nasus immanotruculentus_!" Suddenly, Sirius felt Firmus get lighter. He lifted him up onto the broom, and navigated it through the forest.

Firmus looked back at the dragon. It was gaining. 

"Quickly, Sirius! Dart through the trees!" Sirius maneuvered back and forth through the forest. It had no effect however. The dragon was small and zipped through the forest as agilely as Sirius's broom, if not more so. It was gaining on them.

"Come on, Sirius!" Firmus yelled. "_Battuo_!" He shouted, but the dragon dodged his spell. It sent another fiery blast at them.

"Sirius!" He yelled. He grabbed Sirius's arm, and pulled the broom downward. It went off to the right, dodging the blast. With the weight of the two of them, however, Sirius could not bring the broom back up.

"Pull up!" Firmus yelled. Sirius gripped the front of the broom and wrenched upward with all his might. Just as they were about to plow straight into a tree, Sirius managed to pull it to the left and up slightly, lessening their hard impact with the ground. 

The broomstick immediately snapped in two under the impact, and they rolled forward. Sirius quickly got up.

"Firmus!" He looked around. "Firmus!" He spotted him. Firmus was lying on the ground, unconscious. Sirius ran to him.

"Firmus! Firmus, wake up!" He shook him. Nothing. Sirius turned around. The dragon had landed not twenty meters away. The dragon stood for a moment. It opened its mouth.

"_Circumvalo_!" Sirius yelled. The dragon sent a huge blue fireball at him. The shield stopped it, but knocked Sirius back, putting Firmus between him and the dragon. The dragon opened its mouth for another.

Sirius leapt over Firmus and pointed his wand.

"_Ferio_!" He yelled. The dragon was struck in the mouth and fell back. It quickly regained its composure, however, and shot another him. Sirius put up another shield. He gripped his wand with both hands and put his foot against a root. The fireball struck hard, but Sirius remained standing. It pushed him back, but he quickly was pointing his wand at the dragon again.

"_Ferio_!" He shouted and got the dragon between the eyes. It took a step back, but fired another. Sirius blocked it, but the force of it turned him around. As he turned he launched another Ferius Spell at the dragon. This one hit it in the shoulder. It recoiled again, and looked at Sirius. It took a few creeping steps toward him. Sirius bent over, still watching the beast, as he panted heavily. 

The dragon reared up again and sent more flames at him.Sirius blocked once more, and stayed on his feet. The force of the fire kept coming, however. Sirius again held his wand with both hands. The dragon was continuously launching the blue flames at him. It was slowly pushing him back. It forced him to his knees. 

Sirius felt Firmus at his feet. Sirius was being pushed so hard he didn't think he could hold up. He was completely exhausted and his arms hurt, but he kept up. 

"Help..." He said hoarsely, as tears began to flow down his cheeks. "Help!" He yelled louder. He could do nothing now...this was it. The shield began to dim, and the flames only intensified.


	10. Chapter Ten: Prongs

****

Chapter Ten:

Prongs

As James slowed his descent, nearing the ground, he heard a yell.

"Sirius!" He thought. It was faint, but accompanied by plenty of other strange noises coming from the forest. He quickly gathered his wand, pocketing Lestrange's also. He got a running start, leapt onto the school broom, and flew off towards the forest. Before he got there, however, he was greeted by the others.

"James! I think Sirius is in trouble!" Yelled Mary.

"Let's go!" Said James quickly. He pointed to Peter.

"Peter, my broom!" Peter quickly tossed the broom, which was actually Remus's, to him. 

"Come on!" He yelled. He and Remus shot off quickly into the forest on their Thunderbolts, followed by Lily and Mary on the slower school brooms. The two raced side by side through the forest, expertly dodging trees and branches. 

"It's a dragon!" Yelled Remus, pointing. 

"It's Sirius!" Shouted James. 

"_Ferio_!" They yelled in unison. The two blasts struck the dragon in the back, knocking him forward. It turned to face them. It belched a huge blue fireball at them. They parted, and it sailed between them. 

James and Remus circled the beast, battering it with Ferius Spells. In a few moments, before it could do anything more, Lily and Mary arrived as well. Despite the added force, however, the beast simply ignored them and turned again to Sirius. Or to Firmus?

It reared back for another. Sirius feebly conjured another shield. He looked as if he might faint.

"_Wallo_!" The four shouted. The shield became thick and bright white, and the fire was easily quelled. Sirius fell backwards.

"Sirius!" Yelled Mary. She flew in behind the magical shield. Dismounting, she patted him on the face.

"Sirius! Sirius, are you okay? Wake up!" He was out cold. Another fireball struck the shield.

"Mary watch out!" The dragon leapt at them. James flew in fast and jumped onto the dragon's head. It quickly bucked him off. It rested its foot on the magical shield, and perched over the three.

"MARY!" Lily shrilly screamed. James got to his feet. Pulling out Lestrange's wand, he pointed it and his own at the dragon. 

"_Ablego_!" Roared James. With the force of two wands, the dragon was lifted over top of them and flung back, into a tree again. He immediately felt fatigued. They were all using powerful, advanced spells against this dragon. They couldn't hold out much longer.

"Lily! Mary! Take Sirius and Firmus back to the castle and get help! I'll distract the dragon!" Said James.

"Me too!" Yelled Remus, still on his broom. He shot at it. He zoomed around it, circling tightly and avoiding its claws.

"Go!" James yelled. Lily flew down to them. "Here! My broom!" James said. He tossed his broom to Lily. She gave it to Sirius, who had regained consciousness.

He lethargically mounted it and began to levitate slowly. Mary and Lily grabbed him under the arms and they floated up.

"_Mobilicorpus_!" Said Lily, magicking Firmus into the air. The odd party slowly flew above the tree line, and away towards the castle. James noted in which direction they flew, because that would be the way to the castle.

"James!" Yelled Remus. The beast was now very nearly hitting Remus. James pocketed Lestrange's wand and pointed his own at the dragon. He stalled. He had...no idea what spell to use. The Ferius Spell had been having no effect. He didn't have the energy left for anything else. Remus darted past the dragon and down to James.

"Do you have any idea what to use?" Remus asked panting. The dragon turned to them.

"Think fast!" Said James. It cocked its head slightly. It crouched. 

"It's going to do something..." Remus whimpered. Suddenly, it shot upward out of the forest. The two immediately crouched and looked up, expecting it to come down on them. It shot away, towards the castle. 

"Sirius and the others!" Shouted James.

"Let's go!" Yelled Remus, and he flew off quickly. James was alone in the Forbidden Forest. He dashed off as fast as he could. He tripped over his Quidditch robes. In a hurry, he ripped them off and left them in a scarlet heap. Down to jeans and a white shirt, he continued to run on. When he made it out of the forest, they group was over the lake. They were moving slowly, and the dragon was approaching. From a distance he saw Remus fly near to the dragon. It swatted him away, and he fell into the lake. James saw his Thunderbolt break into pieces. 

"Remus!" James yelled. He saw Remus surface. He was alright. James looked at the chase. He couldn't catch up. The dragon was going to catch them. James immediately knew what to do.

"_Existo mens cervus_! _Existo celeritas cervus_!" Suddenly James felt himself grow taller, and leaner. He could see things more clearly. His sense of hearing heightened. He bounded forth. 

James ran so fast he felt constantly that he would fall forward and roll on the ground. But he didn't, rather he simply accelerated the more he went. He looked up. They had passed over the lake, and were approaching the castle. James didn't have time to go around. He planted his foot firmly on the ridge and leapt up. 

Being in training to become a stag, James never thought he would feel like flying. And yet, he shot into the air like he was propelled from a cannon. He looked down as he arced and began to come down.

"Remus!" He yelled. Remus was getting out of the lake just now, right where James would be landing. Remus looked up, then arced his body back to see James. In one fluid motion he continued backward and dove into the lake. 

James landed hard, stumbled slightly, then continued with his previous celerity. He came to the castle door. Looking up, Mary and Lily had flown them over the castle. The dragon followed. 

"No!" He shouted. He couldn't follow them there. He raced into the castle. 

He dashed across the Entrance Hall and up the steps. He stopped. His head shot back and forth between his possible routes. He quickly decided and ran towards a staircase. He bounded steps at a time, and came to the landing. Continuing fluidly, he ran up the wall, back down again, and up the next set of stairs. 

He sighted a few figures.

"HELP!" He yelled. They turned around. Just students. They couldn't help. He began bounding another set of steps when it began to shift. He couldn't wait. He got up on the railing and jumped from it to another moving staircase. He slid down its railing, and into the corridor. 

"HELP!" He shouted again. There was no one. He continued at his rapid pace. The sound of his feet striking hard against the stone floor reverberated loudly. He looked around him, seeing he was in the Defense against the Dark Arts corridor. He sighted a familiar window. 

He pointed his wand at it. 

"_Expositus_!" The window opened hard. James leapt straight out it. He held his hand up, and caught the upper edge of the window frame. He swung on it, his momentum carrying him upward. He kicked off the wall and leapt onto one of the castle buttresses. He gripped the invisible rungs on the side of the buttresses, which the group had discovered as a shortcut much earlier in the year, and quickly began to climb. He heard the roar of the dragon.

"HELP!" Came desperate shouts. He kept on climbing beyond the normal get-off point, higher and higher up the castle. Upon passing another floor, he saw someone. He punched straight through the window and stuck his head in.

"HELP!" He screamed. It was a professor that he didn't know. He ran to the window. 

"What is it?" The professor yelled.

"There's...there's a dragon! It's chasing my friends!" He nodded vaguely, and quickly ran off. He'll go get help, thought James. He continued to climb. By the time he made it to the roof, they had all landed on it. 

The dragon had them all near the ledge of the roof, with Firmus still lying unconscious, behind Sirius, Lily, and Mary. They had their wands pointed. A recently conjured shield was fading. They looked tired.

Forgetting his wand, James leapt onto the roof and dashed straight for the dragon.

"JAMES! NO!" Screamed Lily. The dragon turned to face James. James left his feet. In a move unexpected by everyone, including James, he put his head down and smashed it into the dragon's chest. More surprisingly, it was knocked onto its back, and James remained standing. He stood tall.

In that moment Lily saw James in a light she never had. He was the funniest boy she knew, a silly prankster, who, despite being a top student, seemingly took nothing seriously, even his own grades at times. Yet despite it all, he always got high marks on everything he did. It seemed that he could be silly, and yet have everything easily.

But just then, James wasn't silly at all. Instead he stood tall, ferociously defensive of his friends. His face radiated sobriety the likes of which Lily had never seen. 

The dragon got up, thrashing about wildly. It stopped concentrating Firmus. It turned to James. It dove at him.

James jumped up, and again headbutted the beast. He brought his head down on its upper jaw, slamming its mouth shut with a sickening _clamp_. Still in the air, James kicked upward, knocking its head backward. Landing on his feet, he drew both wands again.

"_Ablego_!" He shouted, and the dragon was hurled off the tower. James fell to the ground.

"James!" Lily shouted. She ran to him. But the dragon didn't fall long. After a moment, it regained its composure and flew back up to the tower, perching on the side.

"Where is that professor?" James asked aloud. The dragon dove again. James grabbed Lily and leapt to one side. James over-estimated the length of the roof, however, and slid off the edge. Kicking out, he threw Lily as hard as he could, barely keeping her on the roof. He didn't fall long either, however, and landed on another nearby tower. 

He landed on his feet and looked up at the tower. Surely, now, the dragon would destroy them all. But its pride saved them. The dragon jumped into the air, extending its wings to their full span and soaring over.

Releasing blue fiery breath as it dove, the dragon shot straight downward towards James. He leapt across the tower, as the dragon quickly spun and landed on its feet. The impact cracked the brick of the battlement. 

_Surely_, thought James, _someone has got to have heard!_ _What has that professor been doing?_

"GO!" He shouted to Lily on the tower above. She nodded, and gathered Firmus, and the four of them flew off in the opposite direction, and downward towards the castle entrance. The dragon finally forgot about James, and shot back towards the others.

"What does that thing want with them?" James yelled. Before the dragon could lift off, he ran forward and jumped onto its back. Reaching around its neck, he held on tightly. This was no broomstick.

It bucked left and right, trying to rid itself of James. But he held on. Still holding on, he crouched so that his feet were flat on the dragon's back. Pulling back and pushing down with his feet, he flipped the dragon around.

The dragon thrashed again so wildly that James was almost thrown off. He fell back, but held onto the tail. It whipped dangerously weighted down by James. The dragon couldn't get him off, however. It changed direction 180 degrees, now going straight up. The rapid change nearly lost James, but he simply slid down the tail, cutting his fingers on its sharp ridges. 

The dragon smashed into the top of the original tower. James finally fell just as it hit the side, rolling over and landing flat on the top. James thought he might fall to his death then, but he barely gripped the edge of the tower. He heard the beast shriek loudly. There was a bang, and a hissing sound. Then,

_Tff. Tpp. Clunk. Tff tpp clunk. _Krupp. James could hold on no longer. His fingers slipped, and he fell. He was held up again, however, when his shirt caught an odd, jagged protrusion. It began to tear immediately. He saw Krupp come to the edge, and look down.

_This is it_, thought James. _He's got no reason to save me. No one had to know I was here. The shirt will snap and he will allow me to fall. He will tell Dumbledore he arrived to late, and that no one could have saved me. There's no reason for him not to._

Krupp pulled his wand out, and pointed it at James.


	11. Chapter Eleven: Another Unexpected Misfo...

****

Chapter Eleven:

Another Unexpected Misfortune

James's shirt finally broke, and he hurtled backwards. He fell three stories when suddenly he came to a sudden stop. He began to levitate back up. Krupp was doing it. He brought back up to the top of the tower, and set him on his feet. 

James, utterly shocked by this action, forgot to stand and fell on his back. Krupp walked over to him, placing the end of his staff next to James's head. He seemed to offer it to James. James lay there for a while. 

"Get up, Potter." Krupp said. Hesitantly, James reached up and gripped the staff. He lifted himself to his feet, then quickly backed away. In the dark he could not see Krupp's face, but he could feel his stare. 

"Potter." He said. James gulped. "You're out after curfew. Thirty points from Gryffindor. Let's go." James nearly fell back again. What was going on? At the very least, he expected Krupp to give him detention and take every point Gryffindor had away from him. 

James was afraid to even ask Krupp about the dragon, making for a long walk in silence down the staircases. They finally came to a large statue, which James remembered as the entrance to Professor Dumbeldore's office. He was standing there, with Professors Scuro and Marus, as well Nero Lestrange. 

"_Potter_." Said Professor Marus as soon as they stood in front of him. 

"I have given him his punishment, Professor Marus." Said Krupp. Marus looked at Krupp. At first, it seemed like Marus hated Krupp for having upstaged him, doing what was his job. But then, he seemed to realize what Krupp must have done, to one of his most hated students. His expression softened slightly, and he nodded. 

"I think," began Dumbledore, "that Mister Potter's incredible bravery merits some points _for_ Gryffindor house as well. Surely he did all he could with only the safety of his friends and himself in mind." Marus and Krupp murmured in quiet agreement. Scuro approved a little more loudly.

_How does Dumbledore know what happened? _Thought James. _And yet he never came to our aid?_

"But I shall worry about that later. Step into my office." Dumbledore turned around and spoke the password. The statue moved aside to reveal the staircase to his office. They all went up. Dumbledore sat at his desk. James and Lestrange sat in the chairs facing his desk. Scuro, Marus, and Krupp stood behind them.

"Now James. Why don't you tell me what happened tonight?" James nodded. He started the story after the Quidditch match. He said Remus and Sirius had gone for a fly around the grounds, and he was going to catch up when he encountered Lestrange. He said he challenged him to a broomstick race, from the top of the tower and back. 

James glanced at Lestrange. He got a strange look back; it was angry, yet thankful. James continued. He said that when they got to the top Lestrange fell off his broom onto the roof of the tower, and the broom fell back to the ground. He said that he went to get it for Lestrange. But when he got to the ground his friends came rushing to him to say Sirius was in the Forest, in trouble. He said he forgot about Lestrange in the heat of the moment. He was truthful from then on.

"James," began Dumbledore, "do you know why Firmus Constance and Sirius Black were in the forest in the first place?" James shook his head. Dumbledore turned to Krupp.

"Professor Krupp...did you not say that you would be taking Firmus into the Forest for a lesson?" Krupp nodded.

"Yes, sir, I took him into the forest briefly, but escorted him the entire time. I made sure he got back to the greenhouse safely. That was just after the Quidditch match." Dumbledore nodded. 

"Perhaps Sirius would know." Said James. Dumbledore nodded.

"Professor Marus, send for Sirius Black." Marus nodded, turned, and shot a silvery message from his wand. It raced through the door and on towards the hospital wing where Sirius was resting.

"Continue, James." James nodded.

"I...er, got onto my broomstick to follow the dragon out of the forest. But it knocked me off and broke my broom. I ran into the building for help. I came across a professor I didn't know and asked him for help, and he ran to get someone. Is that how you knew to come, Professor Krupp?" Professor Dumbledore's eyes narrowed. 

"What professor?" He asked.

"I...er...don't know. I-I-"

"Describe him." Said Dumbledore quickly, pulling out his wand.

"W-why?" Asked James. "Isn't he the one that alerted you?" 

"Remus Lupin came to me, telling about a dragon. He was quite wet." James thought fast. He nodded.

"Yeah, yeah, Remus was knocked off, too...over the lake." 

"I sent a message to Professor Krupp who I knew to be in the tower just then. Describe the professor." James sank back.

"He was..." James went pale. "He was...fair skinned. And blonde. He had g-green eyes, and dark green robes on...w-w-why?"

"Professor Velemonde." Said Krupp quickly. "The Runes teacher."

"He was hired just this year." Said Dumbledore. He suddenly rose.

"Quickly!" He said. "Block all exits to the castle. Have it searched. Alert all the teachers as well as the Ministry of Magic!" Suddenly, Marus, Krupp, Scuro, and Dumbledore ran out as swiftly as he had ever seen any of them move. The door slammed closed behind them. James and Lestrange were left alone.

James quickly got up from his chair and moved away from Lestrange. Lestrange then slowly got up, and moved away as well. He looked at James.

James slowly reached into his pocket, and pulled out Lestrange's wand. At first, he reacted as if James were about to curse him, but quickly realized it was his own wand. He crossed the room quickly.

"Give me my wand, Pudder!" Spat Lestrange. James held it up. "Come on!" He yelled. James moved away. "You're being unfair!" He screamed. 

"What?" Replied James. "You're the only one that can be unfair? Maybe I should just snap this in half!" Lestrange lunged at James. He continued to hold Lestrange's up and out of Lestrange's reach. Lestrange grabbed James around the chest and brought him to the ground. Putting his hand still gripping the wand to the ground, he pushed Lestrange up, quickly getting to his knees. Lestrange threw a fist and James put up his forearm to block it.

Before the fight could continue, however, 

_CRASH._ The door to the office was flung open. It was Professor Velemonde.

"You!" He said immediately, pointing his wand. Lestrange lunged for James again, but James leapt to his feet and spun away. Trying to keep the wand out of anyone's reach, James threw the wand onto the top of a tall bookcase. He dove behind the desk, pulling his own wand.

"Do you think you can escape?" Roared Velemonde. James peeked over the desk.

"Sirius?" He said, his voice cracking in surprise. Velemonde smiled.

"Ah, so you know him." Velemonde chuckled. Sirius magically in tow, his arms wrapped around himself and his feet floating off the ground. James noticed his wand in Velemonde's pocket. Velemonde turned to Lestrange. 

Suddenly, under a hateful stare, Lestrange shrunk down and backed into a bookcase, curled up as tightly as possible. Velemonde turned to James.

"_Avadra kedavra_!" He yelled. James suddenly leapt back from directly behind the desk. It was obliterated. James at first held up his arms from the blast, but quickly realized this to be his chance. He pointed his wand and uttered the most powerful spell he knew.

"_Circumpulso_!" He yelled. Suddenly, a much more advanced version of the Ferius Spell was issued from James's wand. He was blasted back into a bookcase, and a huge pulse of energy was sent forward. Velemonde was knocked straight backwards, landing on his back. 

James, however, was nearly unconscious. As it was, he was exhausted from the night's activities. The advanced spell nearly wasted him. Velemonde quickly returned to his feet. He pointed his wand at James once again.

"I will not be bested by a _child_!" He yelled. "_Avadr-_" But before Velemonde could finish, a great rush of red swooped from the top of the bookcase. It struck his arm, redirecting the blast. With a powerful claw it dug into his hand and lifted him from the ground. 

"A phoenix!" Said Sirius uncontrollably. 

"Agh!" Yelled Velemonde in pain. James could see the blood dripping down his arm. It was exposed because the phoenix lifted him straight into the air, and the sleeve fell down to his shoulder. 

"What is that?" Yelled Sirius. He recoiled from the ugliness of it. A great skull with a snake issuing from its mouth was tattooed onto Velemonde's arm.

"Fawkes!" Sirius tried to turn but could not. Behind him stood Dumbledore. He quickly walked past Sirius and Velemonde as if they were not there, and to James.

"James! Are you alright?" He asked. James tried to get to his feet.

"Remain as you are. I will send for a nurse." Dumbledore returned to his full height and turned around. Scuro and Marus were there, wands pointed. 

"Fawkes, release Professor Velemonde." Fawkes the Phoenix dropped Velemonde. He kept Velemonde's wand. Dumbledore remained with his hands folded. 

"_Liberato._" Said Scuro. Sirius was released from his magical bond. He fell to the floor. He put his hand to his head and winced. Suddenly his eyes became very wide.

"Where's Krupp!?" He asked, spinning wildly around to face the door.

"_Professor_ Krupp is inspecting the perimeter, as are the other members of the faculty and the Ministry of Magic." Said Dumbledore. "Byron, alert the Ministry that the culprit is in my office." Scuro nodded, and sent another silvery message. Dumbledore approached Velemonde.

"I regret having trusted you." Said Dumbledore. There was something cold in his eyes. They moved up his arm to where the evil mark would be shown if not for his sleeve. Velemonde chuckled.

"It does not matter. My purpose has been achieved. Poison has already nearly destroyed the heir. You cannot stop it now." Dumbledore's eyes widened.

"The hospital wing! NOW!" Again, the teachers quickly rushed for the door. Scuro sent another silvery message flying to the hospital wing and ran down the stairs, Marus right behind. Dumbledore swiftly moved across as well. Before he left, however, he muttered something and pointed his wand at Velemonde. Suddenly, Velemonde was petrified and thrown violently against the wall, and could not move. 

Sirius turned to James.

"Firmus?" James leapt up and made for the door halfway there, however, he became woozy and fell into Sirius's arms. 

"You're not well!" He said. James just shook his head and leapt through the doorway. Sirius followed. As Dumbledore and the others made there way towards the hospital wing, James and Sirius took a left.

"We can make it there, with the wall, then Godrolic the Grand." Sirius nodded. James ran full out. The attributes of the stag began to return again. He extended, and began to run faster than he ever could without magic. Behind him, Sirius leapt onto all fours and began to catch up to James. 

They came up to the window, broken from when James shattered it looking for help. The both leapt through and onto the hidden ladder the scaled the castle. James, then Sirius, slid down it until they had reached the floor on which the hospital wing lay. They ran again down a hall, across a staircase, and to the statue of Godrolic the Grand. 

"_Dissendium_!" James yelled, and the round belly of the 7th Century wizard opened up. James leapt head-first into it, followed by Sirius. The two slid down a slick brick tunnel, then leveled out, and came to a staircase. They ran up as quick as possible, and came out down the hall from the hospital wing.

"There it is!" Yelled Sirius, and the two bolted towards it. James burst in ahead of Sirius.

"Firmus!" Yelled James. Madam Pomfrey, the new head nurse, looked shocked.

"Mister Potter, please! Mister Constance is resting-" James pushed her aside and ran to Firmus's bedside. He grabbed his hand- it was cold. Firmus's eyes were glazed.

"Firmus! Firmus!" Sirius entered.

"Is he alright?" Sirius asked.

"He's been poisoned!" Yelled James. Madame Pomfrey shrieked. 

"Poisoned?" James nodded.

"Get the antidote!" He yelled. She rushed forward and pointed her wand at Firmus. She mumbled something he didn't catch, and a light red line came from his arm to her wand. It hit the tip and sparked bright green. 

"Oh dear!" She said, and turned to the medicine cabinet. It swung open and she grabbed the antidote. Scuro and Marus arrived. They didn't bother to ask how James and Sirius got to the wing before them, but strode straight toward Firmus and checked him.

Madame Pomfrey brought the antidote forward. Scuro had done the blood test as well, and quickly grabbed the bottle Pomfrey was about to administer.

"This won't do." He said. "It will require Star of Juno. Do you have any on hand?" He asked rapidly. She shook her head.

"That is far more advanced than-" Scuro swept passed her and to the doorway. Yet another silver message shot from his wand. James wondered just then why Madame Pomfrey had not received his previous one.

"Star of Juno?" Sirius asked. Scuro nodded. Sirius reached into Firmus's pocket and pulled out a bright red plant he had collected in the forest.

"This?" He said. Scuro's eyes suddenly widened and he reached forward and took it. He grabbed the antidote Madame Pomfrey had prepared and summoned a bowl out of mid-air. He poured the antidote in, and tore up the plant. He mixed them rapidly, and the green liquid became murky brown. He quickly brought it to Firmus.

"Drink up quickly now, Firmus." Firmus lethargically put his mouth forward, and Scuro tipped the bowl forward, allowing the potion to slip down his throat. Once the bowl was emptied, Scuro retracted it and stood up.

"We can only hope, now." He said. For a moment there was silence. Then, Dumbledore entered, with Ministry of Magic officials just behind. They quickly surrounded the bed, and began administering tests, and questioning everyone.

"I gave him the Medicorserum. With Star of Juno." The officials nodded in agreement. As Scuro had said, they could only wait. After a few minutes of tense anticipation, Firmus began to speak.

"Get...get my...brother...." Quickly, Marus ran from the room. After yet a few more minutes in which Firmus began breathing heavily and sweating, Professor Marus returned with Firmus's brother, Marius Constance. Marius quickly ran to the bed at which Firmus lay. 

Firmus turned to Marius.

"Marius..." He said, with difficulty. "You...have to carry it on..." He coughed loudly. "I am...I was the heir...the heir to Hufflepuff. But...I'm going to die." Marius shook his head and began to cry. 

"Please, Firmus, don't..." Firmus shook his head.

"You must, Marius...you must carry on. When I am gone, you can become the Heir of Hufflepuff. You have to...bad things are coming, Marius. You have to be there...to help stop them..." Firmus fell back onto his bed and closed his eyes. Marius knelt down and broke down completely. James and Sirius began to cry also, silently. James turned to his left. There floated the silvery specter of Friar Arus. He looked at James. Then suddenly, he seemed to fade slightly, become less bright. His very exterior seemed grimmer and more morbid. Firmus was dead.


	12. Chapter Twelve: The Pride of Gryffindor

****

Chapter Twelve:

The Pride of Gryffindor

James awoke in the early afternoon. He was wrapped in a tight ball with his blanket covering him entirely. He lay awake but in the same position for an hour or so. When he finally felt ready to get up, he slowly pulled back the covers and looked out. The beds were empty. All but the vacant one on the end were extremely messy, especially Sirius's, which was completely stripped of its blankets and sheets, which were on the floor next to it. 

James got up and got dressed alone, then made his way down the stairs to the common room. He felt horrible, both physically and mentally. Dumbledore had ordered all the students present be given a sleeping draught immediately and be carried off to bed by the teachers present. 

As appreciative as James was of that, it didn't stop that his entire body ached, and it didn't erase the memory of Firmus's death. Sirius, Remus, and Frank Longbottom were seated in the common room chairs, around the empty fireplace, staring into nothing.

Lily was at the common room desk working on something. The others were not around. James sat in a chair between Remus and Sirius.

"Morning." He said weakly. Remus and Sirius grunted in acknowledgement. Remus and Frank looked as sullen as Sirius; he must have told them. Of course, the entire school was awoken by, and thus aware of, the dragon at Hogwarts, though James didn't know Firmus's death had been leaked to the entire school. After a few moments of silence, James got back up.

"I'm going to get something to eat." He said. Sirius and Remus nodded and got up to follow and Frank came along as well. 

The Great Hall was silent except for the sounds of eating and a low whisper. The Slytherin table was empty. At the Gryffindor table, Peter and Mary were eating sandwiches. Sirius and James came to sit next to them, but saw Frank go over to the Hufflepuff table. His Gryffindor friend, Alastor Moody had taken a seat there. Marius

Constance was eating in silence, with his head down.

Marius turned his head up slightly and saw Frank.

"Hullo Frank." He said, barely audibly. Frank sat next to Sarah Neville, another one of his Hufflepuff friends. 

"Hello Marius. How are you doing?" He said. He nodded slightly.

"I...I guess I'm doing alright." 

"Come 'ere." Said Frank, getting up. Not knowing exactly what he wanted, Marius got up as well. To his shock, Frank stepped forward and embraced Marius tightly.

"I'm very sorry about your brother." Frank said. Marius began to cry again.

"He was a good person. No one deserved it less." Marius nodded, and quickly returned to his seat to avoid a scene. Frank returned to his as well. 

That night, Sirius returned to the common room. He found James asleep in one of the chairs, and Lily still at the Gryffindor desk. 

"Lily, what have you been doing all day today?" She turned around. It looked like she perhaps had cried all day. The wastebasket was full of tissues.

"Homework." She said and turned back around.

"We didn't have _that_ much homework..." Sirius said, approaching the desk.

"Well, I've been doing other people's homework as well." Sirius scoffed.

"Lily Evans? Doing others' homework? Who forced you to do-" But he stopped when he reached the desk. There, in three piles on the desk were stacks of completed homework in all subjects, with small slips of paper on each. They read "James", "Sirius", and "Remus". 

"Why, Lily...thank you..." He said. Lily shrugged.

"I'm sure all of you are too beat to do anything this weekend."

"This goes against your moral code!" Sirius said. She shrugged again.

"I'm sure you all would have done as well as me anyway." Sirius chuckled a bit, said thank you again, and went to his dormitory. He was stopped on the way up the stairs, however, by Frank Longbottom.

"Sirius, what is this?" He asked. He was holding a goblet, with flames pouring out of it. Sirius's eyes widened.

"Wait right here, Frank." He said, and went into the dormitory. Sure enough, on the four trunks there sat three goblets filled to the brim with fire. He grabbed his own and went back into the stairway with Frank.

"Follow me Frank." He said, and went down the stairs.

"Lily." He said once he reached the common room. She turned around and saw the goblet. She nodded, got up, and went to her own dormitory. The chair James had been sleeping in was now vacant.

Frank didn't ask Sirius a question until they reached the first shortcut.

"_Dissendium_." He said, activating its secret entrance.

"Whoa!" Said Frank. "What is all this?" He asked. 

"You'll see." Said Sirius. 

"What about Alastor? There was one on his trunk as well." Sirius smiled.

"He'll run into Lily or Remus and they'll bring him. Just follow me. Watch your step." They stepped into a dark, secret stairway and made there way up to what they referred to as the Society corridor. They approached the portrait of Miss Vi, the entrance to their Society Chamber.

"Gwabble-Quob." Said Sirius. Miss Vi smiled and swung down on her track. It exposed the magical barrier.

"Listen to me, Frank." Sirius said. Frank looked intently at him.

"This won't burn you. It's a drink." Frank suddenly held the goblet a bit further away from him and looked at Sirius.

"A drink?" He asked. Sirius nodded.

"It's also your way in." Frank cocked his head to one side.

"My way in where? There?" Sirius nodded.

"Just _know_ that it won't hurt you. Have faith. Drink it all without fear, then you can enter." Sirius quickly swigged the entire goblet's worth, and turned to Frank.

"See? Harmless." Frank looked apprehensively at his own goblet.

"You're sure?" He asked. Sirius nodded. Frank gulped and looked into the flame. 

"Alright." He said, and quickly gulped the entire thing. He smiled widely.

"Good!" Sirius smiled as well and nodded.

"Let's go." He said, turned and hopped up into the entrance tunnel. Frank came right behind him. James and Mary, the honorary king and queen, were already seated at their thrones, with their crowns already on. There was no light other than that emitted from the large, central fire in the middle of all the chairs.

Sirius smiled widely at James, and took his normal chair. Frank stopped outside the ring.

"Where should I-" Sirius quickly pointed to one of two seats new to the circle. He sat down, and put his hood up like everyone else. In a few more moments, Lily and Peter came, then in a few more, Remus and Alastor Moody. Once all were seated, and James's watch struck 12:48, he spoke up.

"Let the sixty-third meeting of the Society of Lion's Fire commence, _ante diem sexis, Nonas Martius, 2722 ab urbe candita_. We were unable to meet on our standard night, last night, for...obvious reasons. But this meeting is very important so I did not cancel it." He nodded towards Remus, who stood.

"First on our agenda is the admittance of two new members, Francis Longbottom and Alastor Moody."

"What is this?" Asked Alastor, who had been skeptical the entire time. James smiled. 

"Sirius? Care to read our mission statement?" Sirius smiled and stood.

"Certainly, James." He said. "The mission of the Society of Lion's Fire is as follows; to excel in the four categories of achievement of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry: academia, Quidditching, troublemaking, and being the all around most popular and best loved students of the school." Sirius nodded and sat.

"Well said, Sirius. Now, do you two accept the membership we have offered?" Asked James. Frank and Alastor looked at each other.

"Do we have choice?" Asked Frank. James chuckled.

"Not really." 

"Alright, then, I guess we shall!" Said Alastor. Frank and Alastor chuckled for a bit, and then there was silence. 

"Er...we wouldn't happen to have any sort of initiation ritual, would we James?" Asked Sirius. James, looking at the floor, shook his head. 

"Well I guess you two got off easy. I suppose we ought to devise something for future members."

"Speaking of future members," said Frank, "what about our other friends? You know, Gus, and Sarah, and Marius? They're all plenty good at Quidditch, and troublemaking, and academics...." Sirius looked to James. James looked back.

"I...er...well, they're Hufflepuffs." Frank looked dumbly at James. 

"So?" Frank asked. James turned to Sirius.

"Well...this is the Society of _Lion_'s fire. It's sort of a Gryffindor thing..."

Frank humphed.

"So, that doesn't mean we can't have a few Hufflepuffs! Hufflepuff was Gryffindor's loyal companion!" James looked down in thought for a moment. Mary spoke up.

"I move that we allow Hufflepuffs into the society." Said the queen. Lily raised her hand.

"I second that." She said. Peter quickly thirded. Frank and Alastor raised their hands.

"That's a majority!" Frank said. James looked up.

"New members can't vote." He said and returned his gaze to the floor. He looked to Sirius, then to Remus. It was clear they supported whatever he said. His vote would be the deciding one, then. 

"I'll think about it. For the moment, let's move on." He said. The members murmured in agreement, and Remus stood again to present the next note of business. 

"About yesterday's occurrences, and Professor Krupp." James nodded as Remus seated himself. 

"Despite many proofs seemingly vilifying Krupp, it would appear that Professor Velemonde is the sole culprit. The reason Sirius saw him going into the forest with Firmus was because of Polyjuice Potion prepared by Velemonde. It was found in his office and identified as a potion pertaining to Krupp. It appears Krupp very well may own an Invisibility Cloak, but that it was coincidental." James said, nodding.

"So, he's not bad after all?" Asked Lily. James sullenly nodded.

"It appears not. As much as he might hate us, he...certainly would not want any of us to die." James said, almost disgusted at himself for the concession.

"Well, that's settled." Said Mary. "Anything else, Remus?" Asked Mary. Remus shook his head. She turned to her brother.

"Well, I guess that brings us back to the matter of Frank and Alastor's friends." James looked up, then at Mary. He looked down.

"Fine." He muttered. 

Lily was sent for Sarah, and Frank and Alastor for Marius and Mundungus. Lily took the Invisibility Cloak as well. When they returned, three new goblets were waiting behind the portrait of Miss Vi. 

James and Sirius waited behind the large wooden gate that led to the pitch. They had gotten dressed before anyone else had, and were now waiting before anyone else. They were not wearing pads, and were holding school sticks to replace their own broken Thunderbolts. 

Had today been a day of importance, they might have hurriedly ordered new brooms, something the Gryffindor house would have been happy to pay for, and they might have been nervous. But today, they were resolved to go out and do their job.

Today was the Quidditch season finale. They were scheduled to play Hufflepuff. Ravenclaw had beaten Slytherin by a surprisingly slim margin; 240 to 200. This meant that Hufflepuff only needed to win by 120 to get the Quidditch championship. 

A few minutes later, the rest of the team lined up behind Sirius and James. Evus stepped in front of them, with no broom, but rather the Quidditch Championship Trophy.

"Let's go." He said. The doors swung open and the Gryffindor team walked out onto the pitch. It was a strange sensation, walking on the pitch, a place over which James was always used to flying. They made their way to the center circle.

There, the Hufflepuff team was already lined up. Marius Constance took the place of his brother. Dumbledore was the honorary referee. The ball crate was sitting in the center. The Gryffindors lined up along the line as well. Dumbledore lowered his wand and magically opened the ball crate. The bludgers strained against their straps. The Quaffle remained where it was.

Remus Lupin walked up and bent down. He opened the small cover to the Golden Snitch. He pulled it out and held it in his hand. He walked up to Marius, the honorary Seeker.

"Marius, I'm sure this is no consolation, but it was the least we could do." Remus said. He handed the Snitch to Marius, who nodded. Marius and Remus stepped back to their respective teams. There was a smattering of applause.

Next, Evus stepped forward. Their team's captain, Leo Lumb, stepped forward as well. Any forfeit was recorded as a 150-10 victory for the team to whom the game was forfeited. This, of course, meant Hufflepuff was the championship winner.

"No one deserves this more." Said Evus, handing the trophy to Leo. Leo nodded.

"I appreciate your forfeit. This match could have gone either way." Leo said. They shook hands.

"There's a time for games, and there's a time to stop playing." Said Evus. Leo nodded and turned to the crowd. He lifted the trophy up somberly, and nodded towards the cheering crowd. 

Leo shook hands with Dumbledore, lifted the trophy up once more, and led his team off the pitch. Evus lead his own off as well. 

On the last day before exams, all second-years received a small card that listed classes they could take as third-years. 

"It says select two." Said James. "Now let's see...what have we? Muggle Studies, Runes, Arithmancy, Care of Magical Creatures, Divination...and open to select students only, Advanced Magical Studies. What shall we select?" He asked the group.

"Divination! Telling the future? Sounds great!" Said Sirius. James and Lily quickly shook their heads.

"Divination is a shaky magic. Unreliable." The group murmured in agreement.

"What about Muggle Studies?" Asked Mary. "I think that's very interesting." She placed a small check next to it.

"I want to do Arithmancy." Said Sirius. "Scuro said it helps a lot with Potions." Lily and James nodded in agreement and the three checked it off.

"What about Care of Magical Creatures?" Asked Remus. He checked it off.

"That sounds good." Said Sirius. He selected it as well. "Well that makes two for me." He said. James suddenly put his head up.

"What? You mean you're not to take Advanced Magical Studies with me?" James said, as he and Lily checked it on their cards.

"Oh...well..." 

"But then again," said James, "Runes sounds very interesting...as does Magical Creatures..."

"I'm definitely taking Runes." Said Remus, checking it off for himself.

"I think I'll make Magical Creatures my second." Said Mary. 

"Oh well." Said James. "I guess I'll just have to take three extra classes." Everyone looked up.

"Three extra classes? The card says two." James smiled.

"It _suggests_ two. Of course there's time in the day for more than two. Have you ever seen a seventh-year's schedule?" Everyone nodded.

"Now, the question is, Runes or Creatures?"

"In that case I think I'll take Advanced Magical Studies as well." Remus said, checking off his third. 

"Me too." Said Sirius, checking Advanced Studies. 

"Well, I don't suppose I shall allow Remus to take Runes alone. I'll select that, then." Said Lily. 

"I shall as well!" Said Peter quickly.

"Runes, Peter?" Asked Remus. He gulped and nodded.

"I think Care of Magical Creatures shall be my third." Said James, checking it off.

"That's three for me." Said James.

"And for I." Said Sirius.

"Me too." Said Mary and Lily in unison.

"I've got my three." Said Remus. They looked at Peter.

"I've...got...one..." He squeaked.

"Why don't you take Muggle Studies with me, Peter?" Asked Mary. "Otherwise I'll be alone in it!" Peter blushed furiously, and nodded, scratching it off on his own card. Seeing he had fulfilled the minimum two classes, he filled out his name and was finished with it.

"Shall we hand these in, then?" They agreed to. James collected them to give to Professor Marus. He couldn't find him that day, so he prepared to give them to him after he took his Astronomy exam. His exams prior to that went well, and he felt confident after finishing the Astronomy examination.

"Professor Marus!" He said, approaching Marus as he left the tower.

"Yes, James?" 

"Professor, I have the class applications for next year's classes, for me and my friends." Marus nodded and took them.

"Thank you, James." James nodded and began to leave. 

"Mister Potter." He said. James stopped and turned around.

"Yes, Professor?" He asked. 

"About your Hogsmeade shenanigans. As a result of your misbehavior, we have decided to move the year of allowed visits from second-years to third-years." James smiled.

"Ah yes." James said with an enormous grin. "Those second-years have no maturity. Third years such as myself, however, could handle the responsibility much better." James laughed.

"And one more thing James. Owing to your misadventures in Hogsmeade, you and your friends have also been banned from Hogsmeade for next year as well." James's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Marus smiled and chuckled.

"See you next year, Potter!"


End file.
